Ayurvedic Kitchari Fasting

Is an ancient practice

An easy-to-digest traditional rice and bean dish.

Kitchari (pronounced kitch-a-ree) is a staple comfort food of India, also known as khichari, khitchari, and kitchiri, and also sometimes referred to as kedgeree (though incorrectly, as that is an English dish). The word "kitchari' means "mixture" or "mess" as in "mess of pottage" or "mess of stew" or porridge.

The main ingredients are rice and mung beans, to which a variety of spices and other vegetables may be added. Often the mung beans are replaced with another bean. Sometimes the resultant "mess" is thick, and sometimes it is thin and soupy. And, sometimes, the word "kitchari" is used loosely to describe any "mess of pottage", such as, "I made a kitchari of millet and lentils".

The ancient practice of fasting on kitchari, or a "kitchari cleanse", utilizes the traditional mix of rice and mung beans. In Ayurveda, the ancient wisdom of India dating back 5,000 years, this mix of rice and mung beans is considered extremely easy to digest and is said to purify the digestion and cleanse the body of toxins, much like other cleansing diets.

According to Vasant Lad, in his book, The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies, "A five-day kitchari fast, using plain kitchari with just some chopped cilantro leaves added, will cleanse the system and help to strengthen memory." See his plain recipe below.

Kitchari fasting is actually a mono-diet, which means the body receives a limited diversity of foodstuffs and therefore needs to produce a limited number of digestive enzymes. The work of the 

digestive system is lessened, allowing for greater healing and cleansing to occur. Just like a brown rice fast, a kitchari cleanse can be calming, soothing and warming.

Besides being a great food for fasting, kitchari is wonderful for a variety of circumstances:

• Use during the process of breaking more intense fasts, such as water or fruit.
• Use during intermittent fasting to provide further cleansing during your eating periods.
• Use when recuperating from an illness or any great physical stress, like childbirth, surgery, or extensive travel.
• It is an excellent "antidote" to dietary excesses, such as we're prone to do around the holidays or major family get-togethers.
• It can be helpful and calming when we're under emotional stress.

Kitchari ingredients

Most Ayurvedic-derived kitchari recipes call for basmati rice in particular. This may be because basmati is a rice that is considered appropriate for all three constitutional types; Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. If you've never tried basmati rice before, you're in for a treat! It is called an aromatic rice, and, oh my, when you're cooking it, it smells wonderful!

I've found that basmati bought from the bulk bins has lost its special aroma. To enjoy all that basmati rice has to offer, you may need to buy pre-packaged bags, as I now do.

Rarely is brown or whole rice specifically called for, but obviously white rice, with its recent appearance in human history, could not have been used thousands of years ago. Because white rice is devoid of nutritional content, no one should be ingesting it,especially on a fast. If you decide to expand your kitchari-horizons and search for other recipes, assume it is always "whole" rice being called for.

While the traditional bean used is mung, either whole or split (green or yellow), another bean appropriate for all three doshas is red lentils. So if you have trouble finding mung beans, try red lentils.

Because of this diversity of ingredients allowed, there are an untold number of recipes for kitchari. Probably every cook has his or her own favorite version. A good analogy might be "chili" in America with its countless recipes and variations. For fasting and cleansing, we would use the most simple, plain versions. The "dressed up" versions are good for any other time.

Kitchari Recipes

Vasant Lad's recipe for plain kitchari, which he says is suitable for fasts up to five days. For those of us who can't stand cilantro, parsley is just fine.

Lad's Simple Kitchari Recipe

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1 cup basmati rice
1 cup yellow split mung dal
1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped
6 cups water

Wash the rice and mung dal twice, using plenty of water. If you have time, let the mung dal soak for a few hours before cooking, to help with digestibility.
Add rice, dal, and cilantro to the water. Bring to a boil, and boil 5 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Turn down heat to low, and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Cook until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

This is my recipe for plain kitchari. Since research has shown the soaking of grains to increase their nutrition and ease of digestibility, my recipe calls for soaking the rice as well as the beans.

I also add butter or coconut oil, considered healthy saturated fats, for the vitamins and health benefits.

Plain Kitchari for fasting

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1/4 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup mung beans
1 cup water
1 tablespoon yogurt or kefir
pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon butter or ghee, or virgin coconut oil

Place rice and beans in a pot with water and yogurt. Allow to soak overnight or up to 24 hours.
Bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat to lowest setting for 35-40 minutes. Add salt, fluff with fork, and serve with butter, ghee, or coconut oil.

Source;
http://www.allaboutfasting.com/kitchari.html
image; google.