Simple Healing Kichari

"The possession of anything begins in the mind.”

- Bruce Lee

Kichari is a simple dish to support the purification of body and mind. It is the staple of an ayurvedic cleanse, and can also be taken any time you feel that your digestion needs a little TLC, such as under stress, at the change of seasons, after travel, or before menstruation.

In classical texts, it is said that 40 days of a kichari diet has the power to heal any disease. I haven't tried it for anything serious, but I can vouch for this dish's ability to support a clear, calm mind and stable energy levels throughout the day.

Easy Healing Kichari

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow mung beans (ideally soaked for 1-8 hours)

• 1 cup basmati rice (or quinoa) (ideally soaked for 1-8 hours)

• 3 tbsp ghee

• 1 inch fresh peeled ginger

• 1/4 inch cinnamon bark

• 5 whole cardamom seeds

• 5 whole cloves

• 10 black peppercorns and/or cumin seeds and/or coriander seeds

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 6 cups water

• Optional: 2 cups chopped vegetables (e.g. kale, chard, sweet potato, etc)

• Optional garnishes: ghee, coriander, lime, black pepper, sesame seeds, extra spices

Preparation:

1. Rinse and wash the dahl and rise and set aside.

2. Place 3 tbsp ghee in a steel saucepan and heat on low flame. Add ginger and all spices, and sautee lightly.

3. Once the smell of the spices has been awakened, add mung beans and rice to the pan, and sautee lightly with the spices.

4. Add 6 cups of water and cook until the rice and dal are soft (about 20-30 minutes). Add vegetables while cooking.

5. To serve, you may wish to garnish with extra spices, black pepper, salt, chopped coriander or a squeeze of lime.

About the Author

Briya (Rachel) Freeman is a facilitator specialized in meditation, ayurveda and modern spirituality. She is passionate about exploring the potentials of human consciousness in a way that respects, unites and transcends global culture and tradition.

Briya is a long-term student of Berdhanya Swami Tierra, a female mystic and shaman of South American origin. She also holds studies in ayurveda at Anjali School of Ayurveda (Kerala, India) and a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Ottawa. She is the creator of Ayurveda for Vibrant Living, a practical exploration of the fundamentals of the science of self-healing.