Pink beet kitchari
A staple superfood in Ayurveda, Kitchari is the mother of all dishes. Simply put, it's food as medicine. It offers a balanced meal that's packed with plant-based protein and delightful flavors while boosting the proper functioning of the body & mind. This one-pot dish is a complete meal that is easy to digest and gives strength and vitality by nourishing all tissues of the body. The perfect meal to make while to bring balance back to your diet if you’re feeling sluggish, sick or have been splurging too much during vacation or over the holidays.
Beets add a subtle sweet note to Kitchari and a range of benefits! They cleanse and cool the blood, nourish the liver, and improve the eyesight. Beets are good for anemia.
AIR: Yes I FIRE: Yes I EARTH: In moderation
AIR + FIRE: Yes I FIRE + EARTH: Yes I AIR + EARTH: Yes I AIR + FIRE + EARTH: Yes
Serves 4 l Difficulty: easy l Prep time: 10min l Total time: 35min
Ingredients
* Kitchari Kit available below
1/2 cup mung dal (these are yellow split mung beans and not the same as mung beans or lentils) buy here
1/2 cup white Basmati rice
3-4 tablespoons ghee buy here
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder buy here
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds buy here
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder buy here
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds buy here
1/4 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwayn) buy here
1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
1 inch raw turmeric root
Mineral salt
4 cups water
2 lime wedges
8-10 roasted beets
Handful of fresh chives
Fresh black pepper
Unsweetened coconut milk (optional)
Steps
Mix the yellow mung dal and white rice in water, soak for minimum of 30 minutes and drain.
In a saucepan, at medium flame, heat the ghee until it becomes hot, then add the spices.
When they start cracking, add the chopped ginger and turmeric. Cook until dark yellow, should take about 1 minute.
Now add the yellow lentils and rice. Mix well, add salt and wait for 2 minutes.
Add the 4 ups of water, mix again and cover the pot. Let it cook properly, mixing every so often for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, puree the roasted beets into a food processor until you get a creamy consistency — you can add coconut milk to it if you wish.
Stir in the beet puree into the cooking pot and cook for another 5-10minutes or until mushy and soupy.
If the kitchari gets dry, add another 1 cup of water. Cook until the consistency of kitchari is semi-solid and you can barely differentiate the yellow mung dal lentils from the rice.
Serve warm with 1 teaspoon of ghee, fresh chives, a few pieces of beets and a generous pinch of salt — enjoy!
* If you’re short on time: buy this kitchari kit which supplies all the basic ingredients to make Kitchari for 7 days. When buying this kit, just simply add the beet puree.
