Rice and Mung Recipe (Kitcheree/Kichadi/Kitchari)

Kitchari is a nourishing and easy to digest food and is an excellent protein source. It is great to use when fasting and when undergoing treatment and detoxification or when you just want a simple and quick to make meal that you know is good for you.

Make it a regular part of your diet – it is easy to adjust for your taste and Dosha, and it can make a great meal anytime of the day. Cook early in the morning and it is ready for breakfast and lunch (either at home or take it with you to work).

Below are suggestions for recipes based on the three Dosha but you can modify them to suit you. Just remember to always choose foods from the food list suited to your constitution.

ENJOY!

Simple Kicheree Recipe for pacifying Vata

 Ingredients:

• 1 c basmati rice
• ½ c mung beans (without skin and split – yellow in color)
• 4 tbs ghee
• ½ tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp black pepper whole
• 1 tsp urad dhall or black lentils (without skin and split)
• 1 pcs dried chilly (whole)
• ½ tsp asafetida
• 6 pcs of fresh curry leaves
• 10 pcs cashew nuts halved
• salt to taste
• rice cooker
• small frying pan

 Preparation method:

1. Wash rice and mung separately and when clean put in rice cooker together. Add 5 cups of water and 1/4 tsp salt. Start the rice cooker.
2. Put frying pan on stove and set heat to high.
3. Pour in ghee and wait till hot
4. Then add the cumin and whole pepper. Wait till it ‘pops’ then add dry chilli, urad dhall, cashew nuts, curry leaves and asafetida. Fry until light brown. This will happen quickly. WATCH and don’t let it burn
5. Then transfer all of this directly into the rice cooker where the rice/mung is being cooked. Stir, add little more salt to taste, stir and cover.
6. Kicheree should be ready in about 10 to 15 minutes time.
7. You can add some mixed vegetables when you are stir frying the spices if you like.
8. Eat while hot with some South Indian spiced pickle and appalam (a south variation of the larger spiced papadam). You can also put some fresh coriander leaf on the top. Make sure you eat it warm.

 

 Simple Kicheree Recipe for pacifying Pitta:

Ingredients:

•  ¾ cup of basmati rice
• ¼ cup of mung beans (also known as moong dal – it is without skin, split, and yellow)
• 2 T Ghee (make your own if possible)
• 4 cups of water
• Salt to taste
• Cumin seeds (1 tsp)
• Fresh ginger sliced finely or ground in a mortar and pestle (about 1-2 teaspoons)
• Fresh Coriander leaves – about a handful
• A few whole peppercorns (about 10, you can keep them aside when you eat but they’ll add to the flavour during cooking)
• 5 or 6 fresh curry leaves (whole)

 Procedure:

1.  Soak rice and mung beans for 10 to 15 minutes in medium sized saucepan (you can soak the mung beans longer on their own first if you have time)
2. Pour away water and rinse once more then pour away the rinse water
3. Add required water for cooking and a little salt and then place on heat to bring to the boil (once brought to boil lower heat, keep covered and simmer for 30 minutes or until completely cooked)
4. While the rice/mung and water is cooking take a frying pan and heat the ghee
5. Once hot add the cumin seeds and pepper corns and allow to ‘pop ‘ – make sure they don’t burn
6. Add the ginger and curry leaf, stir in for a few seconds and then take the whole mixture and add to the rice and mung and stir in well and allow all to cook together. Stir occasionally while cooking to keep everything well mixed
7. You can also cook in a rice cooker as with the previous recipe and add suitable vegetables if you like

 Serve:

• When finished, immediately sprinkle about 10 chopped leaves of fresh coriander all over the top of the rice and keep it covered until ready to serve – this allows it to cook a bit and absorb the aroma of the coriander into the rice/mung mixture.
• Eat everything except for the whole peppercorns
• You may serve with a little Indian pickle eg sweet Mango
• Sliced cucumber is also a good side dish for Pitta (in the hotter months)
• Fresh unsweetened yoghurt is also good for Pitta (you may season with a little salt, chopped/grated cucumber and a few cumin seeds to make a simple form of raita)

Simple Kicheree Recipe for pacifying Kapha:

Ingredients:

•  1 cup of basmati rice
• 1 cup yellow mung beans (split, without skin, yellow in colour)
• 2 T Ghee (easy to make yourself)
• 6 cups of water (you may find you like to use more or less depending on the consistency of the kitcheree you like – you don’t want it too wet, remember Kapha needs to take their food light, hot and reasonably dry)
• ½ cup water
• Salt (enough to season rice)
• Small pinch of turmeric powder
• 5 whole cardamom pods
• 5 whole cloves
• Cumin seeds (1 tsp)
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1 piece of cinnamon bark
• 3 bay leaves
• Fresh ginger sliced finely or ground (about 1-2 teaspoons)
• Fresh Coriander leaves (two handfuls – one to add when cooking, one handful for the end)
• 10 or so fresh curry leaves (whole)

 Procedure:

1.  Soak the mung beans for at least 10 to 15 minutes (or longer). Wash the mung beans, add rice and rinse once together then add required water to cook, season with salt and add tumeric
2. In a blender blend the ginger,1/4 cup water and coriander until liquefied (this is an optional step but is very nice, alternatively you can just warm the ginger in the spices before adding to the rice and mung)
3. In a large saucepan or frying pan heat the ghee then add the cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns and bay leaves and stir until fragrant, be careful not to burn but get the spices hot and they should crackle and pop a bit, add the curry leaves last and stir into the spices
4. Reduce heat and add the blended liquid carefully and slowly to the spices and stir all together and cook for a few seconds
5. Add this mixture into the rice and mung as it is cooking and mix in very well
6. Once boiled turn the heat down very low, lightly cover and cook slowly until the mung and rice are soft and thoroughly, about 30 minutes or so (you may stir occasionally while cooking to keep everything well mixed)

 Serve:

• After cooking, immediately sprinkle about 10 chopped leaves of fresh coriander all over the top of the rice and keep it covered until ready to serve. Eat everything except for the whole spices
• Serve with a little spicy pickle or simply eat as it is (make sure it is hot in temperature)