Kitchari: Basic, Savory and Sweet
This recipe makes enough for 5 meals. It feeds me for a day plus one more breakfast. I like to make this basic recipe, cool it and store it in the fridge. From that, I take what I need for a meal and add different spices and vegetables to it.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice (brown or white) or try millet
- 3/4 cups mung beans
- 8 cups water (more for millet)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 pinch asafoetida (a spice also called hing- available at Indian and Chinese grocers)
Directions:
- Soak rice and beans separately overnight in plenty of water.
- The next day rinse the rice and beans and put into a heavy bottomed pot.
- Add water, turmeric and asafoetida.
- Cook over medium heat (or in a rice cooker) until the water is mostly absorbed (about 45 minutes)
Variations:
Breakfast bowl
In a pot, heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil with 2 cracked cardamom pods, ¼ cup unsweetened coconut and a pinch of cumin seeds.
Cook over medium heat until fragrant.
Add 1 ½ cups cooked kitchari mixture, a little water (more of you like it soup-y), a dash of cinnamon and some ground cloves. Season with salt.
Cover and heat gently for a few minutes, until water is absorbed.
Savory Kitchari
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ tsp. Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp. Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp. Ground Fennel
- 1 inch ginger, grated or minced
- Optional: onion, garlic, vegetables such as zucchini, sweet potato, carrot, squash, green vegetables of your choice.
Directions:
- Sauté seeds until the pop in a bit of coconut or olive oil. Add onions, ginger, garlic, or hard vegetables such as carrots or squash to the spices and cook for a few minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Then add 1 1/2 –2 cups of cooked kitchari mixture, a little water and any soft vegetables like greens, zucchini, or broccoli. Put a lid on it and cook gently until the water is absorbed and the vegetables are cooked. Season with salt.
About the Author
Best Foods for Healthy, Clear Skin: Treat Yourself to a Better Complexion
Healthy skin is beautiful skin and can be achieved by nourishing it from the inside out. Though its functions are often underestimated compared to other bodily systems, without the skin, we simply couldn’t survive.
Nutritious foods eaten consistently will begin to rebuild the cellular structure but this can take time as the skin has many layers. What you eat and drink now, can take four to six weeks to see the effects. By committing to a natural, whole foods diet, you’ll quickly begin to see healthy, beautiful, glowing skin.
List of Top 10 Best Foods for Healthy Skin
1. Lemon and Citrus Fruits – The Clarifiers
Citrus fruits, particularly lemon, juiced and sipped with water first thing in the morning or at any break are a wonderful complexion clearer. This little ritual gives your metabolism a kick start, your liver a much-needed mini cleanse, and your skin a vitamin C boost. Lemons are very cleansing to the body, so they help clarify the complexion. Another great way to incorporate it into your daily routine is to squeeze it over salad and vegetables or add slices to a jug of water.
2. Water – The Hydrator
Water makes up around 75-85% of your body—it’s even in your teeth and hair. Even though we’ve heard it all before, drinking pure water hydrates your body and prevents dry skin, keeping the cells hydrated, so they can easily uptake nutrients and remove waste.
