ayurveda and khichdi November 25, 2008
I recently participated in an Ayurveda workshop in which I found my favorite new food, khichadi (or pronounced kitcheree). It’s an ancient India dish that is so filling, yummy, and healthy and it can be made with ingredients you have on hand in the pantry. It has healing & balancing qualities for anyone who eats it.
Ayurveda, which translates as “knowledge of life,” dates back 5,000 years to the ancient Sanskrit texts, the Vedas. It’s a system of healing that examines physical constitution, emotional nature, and spiritual outlook in the context of the universe. According to the philosophy, universal life force manifests as three different energies, or doshas, known as vata, pitta, and kapha.
We’re all made up of a unique combination of these three forces. Though everyone has some of each, most people tend to have an abundance of one or two of the doshas. This unique combination is determined at the moment of conception, and is your own personal blueprint, or prakriti (nature). I happen to be made of up the pitta dosha, which is represented by the element fire (which is not a surprise to those who know me).
As you move through life, the proportion of each of the three doshas constantly fluctuates according to your environment, your diet, the seasons, the climate, your age, and many other factors. As they move into and out of balance, the doshas can affect your health, energy level, and general mood.
Whether or not you even know what Ayurveda is, I urge you to try this wonderful, cheap, easy to make meal! It’s one of the few healthy foods I eat after a period of being unhealthy that immediately makes me feel better. It truly behaves like medicine in that way.
If you want to learn more about Ayurveda, Yoga Journal is a great resource, I also recommend any book by Maya Tiwari.
Khichdi Recipe
Yummy, heatlhy, ancient Indian comfort food. This dish is popular amongst many who follow an ayurvedic diet practices or nature cure.
Prep Time: 0 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Ready In: 25 min
Yields: 3-4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup white basmati rice
1/2 cup split mung beans (lentils are good too)
4 cups H2O or veggie stock (give or take liquid amount depending on your stove/pan/lid, I typically use H2O and a veggie bouillon cube)
1 tsp to 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger root (latter amount if high pitta)
1 tsp ground coriander or 1/2-1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp dried oregano leaves (Italian seasoning is fine)
1/2 tsp ground cumin or 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 clove garlic (omit if high pitta)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring to boil, reduce head to medium-low and cover and simmer. As rice and beans are cooking, chop and add veggies such as carrots, zuchini, broccoli.
2. Cook for approximately 25 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed but the consistency is smooth, not mushy and sticky.
3. When done, take the pot of of heat and add ghee (clarified butter), salt, braggs liquid amino acids to taste.
4. If using whole mung beans adjust time to 45 minutes.
FOOTNOTES:
Depending on the veggies I’m adding, I like to precook them separately and add them at the end, especially broccoli and cauliflower. Adding 1 cup of frozen peas right at the end of cooking is really good. I like to top it with a bit of feta and eat it with pita and hummus. I have also seen it made with fresh cilantro. Yum.
