Kitchari

A couple years ago my boyfriend went to Albuquerque, New Mexico to study Ayurvedic medicine. Lots of it involved yoga, chart reading, and learning about food and Ayurvedic cooking. When he came home, all of his newfound cooking knowledge rubbed off on me and in return I learned a few new dishes that were completely unheard of to me--one of them being the rice dish, kitchari.

In Ayurveda, each person is understood by their dosha, which describes 3 different kinds of body compositions as well as a state of being. Pita, Kapha, and Vata. Each has something the other doesn't and describes a person from their physical self, to their behavior, and most definitely their diet. Kitchari is considered a very satvik food, which is to say it's balancing and pure in the Ayurvedic diet. It helps everyone, regardless of their dosha. I think if my boyfriend read this, there would be a lot more he would want to expand on. :)

Anyways, I really do like the recipe because it's an extremely tasty and hearty dish that warms your tummy and leaves you full and perfectly satisfied. It's definitely an excellent dish for anyone who likes the taste of Indian food, but not overpowering flavors. There are many spices in this dish, but nothing too eccentric or hard to find. Traditionally the spices are toasted with Ghee, which is just clarified butter, but since I wanted to keep it vegan, coconut oil is a great substitute. When I had this particular dish served to me in a popular Indian vegan restaurant in New Mexico, it had a softer consistency, so I decided to alter the way I make it for this purpose. Lastly, there are many variations to this dish, some traditional and some not. Mine is a take on tradition with a few extra ingredients thrown into the mix.

Toasting the Spices

Serves 2 hungry people, or 4 as a side dish.

Ingredients: (measurements are approximate and can totally be adjusted to taste)

• 1 cup white Basmati rice or short grain rice
• 1/2 cup split yellow Mung daal (found at specialty stores or Indian markets)
• Few garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric
• 1/2 tbsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tbsp ginger powder
• 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tbsp fennel powder
• 1/2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
• Very generous amount of salt
• 1/2 tsp Hing (aka Asafoetida: unusual ingredient commonly found in Indian markets, optional)

Directions:

• Start by heating the oil in a medium saucepan until viscous. Add all of the spices and garlic. Toast on medium high heat--just make sure you're watching very closely so they don't burn.
• Next, add both the rice and mung daal and coat with all of the oily spices. When the mixture is fragrant and toasty, add 4 cups of water. This may seem like a large ratio for a total of 1 1/2 cups of rice and beans, but you want the end result to be a bit mushier than traditionally fluffy Basmati rice. If you really do love this texture in rice, feel free to stick with 3 cups of water. It still is very tasty, it just results in a drier product. 
• Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Put a secure top on and LEAVE IT ALONE. Taking the top of mid-cooking will release all of the steam which is NO GOOD. This will result in unevenly cooked rice. My internal clock tells me when it's just the right time to lift the lid, but I would say its about 15-20 minutes. (Yes, white rice takes no time to cook!)
• That's it, super easy! Serve while it's hot! I like mine best with some wilted greens or other steamed veggies. Something simple that doesn't compete with all of the potent flavors of the kitchari.