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An Ayurveda Holistic, Easy Digest, Spring Cleanse Stew
Don’t let this Easy Vegan Green Kitchari Detox Bowl fool you. It looks mild but it is full of warm spice deliciousness. This healing development goes back some 5,000 years and blends especially well when used with yoga. Ayurvedic practitioners suggest to eat the cleanse kitchari for 3 to 7 days. This is a healing approach to strengthening the immune system, getting out the cobwebs and unblocking energy and toxins we store throughout the winter. This is easier then a lot of cleanses because it is gentle on the stomach and a full protein meal. It is a mixture of mung bean, basmati rice, garlic, sweet potato, spinach and a bunch of Indian spices. Everything used in this recipe you can find in any grocery store.
Other Ingredient For Kitchari
I have been making kitchari for years and you can make it very diverse. I found a recipe many years ago watching a yogi master teach how to make kitchari. It is a little different then most recipes that I have found. He also used a tablespoon of each of these spices and it was intense. Needless to say, I was detoxed when I had done it for a week. It really works and I always lose about 3 pounds.
I have added some spices like cinnamon, clove and bay leaves in this version of kitchari. I really enjoy the clove. It makes for a very intense kitchari to leave them in and eat them. They are very good for a stomach parasite cleanse.
Most recipes for kitchari focus on the basics of mustard seed, cumin seed, ground coriander, turmeric, black pepper, fresh ginger and fresh lemon and cilantro. I like to give it a twist sometimes with adding powdered fenugreek, extra ginger, and extra garlic or onion. Just don’t add extra mustard seed. It makes the stew bitter.
Speaking of bitter! Bitter greens are meant to go in this dish. So add lots of greens like kale, spinach, collard greens and especially dandelion greens. They help cleanse the liver.
Although, you can pretty much add most any vegetable. I love it with sweet potato or carrots because they go so well with all the spices. They go really well when you add cinnamon. Try also potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, green peas or even parsnip or turnip. It’s all an exploratory personal taste.
How To Prepare The Mung Beans For Kitchari
When making this Easy Vegan Green Kitchari Detox Bowl I like to soak my mung beans the night before. It just really helps soften them up. They are a softer bean anyway and the easiest to digest, but it just helps with the process for digestion to soak them. Don’t forget to sort through the beans before soaking. You never know if your going to throw a small stone in with the beans.
The next morning rinse them really well in a small sieve with cool water. Set them aside until you are ready to make your meal of kitchari.
How To Make Kitchari
After rinsing the mung beans do the same with the basmati rice, but do it separately from the beans. Make sure to rinse it at least three times. Set it aside until you have everything else ready.
Next chop the sweet potatoes in small cubes, mince the fresh ginger and garlic or use a garlic press for the garlic.
Heat up a large skillet on medium heat, add the two tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ground coriander, bay leaves and turmeric. Let this all heat up and stir it for about 1 minute.
Add the cloves, cinnamon chopped ginger, garlic and black pepper. Stir it all together to get the oil on the spices and then add the 5 cups of vegetable broth.
Add the mung beans , basmati rice and chopped sweet potatoes. Stir it all together and cover with a lid for 30 minutes. Do not take the lid off so that the rice completely cooks from the steam pressure.
When done check to see if it needs more salt and pepper. Add it at this time and stir it in.
After checking the salt and stirring it in, add two large hands full of fresh spinach and mingle that in.
Cover and on low heat let the spinach wilt in with the stew.
Then it is ready to serve. Top it with vegan yogurt, fresh cilantro and a wedge of lemon or lime.
I love kitchari and like exploring different ways to create it’s delicious warm taste. Mix it up with different Indian spices and see what you come up with. Enjoy!
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Print
Easy Vegan Green Kitchari Detox Bowl
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Don’t let this Easy Vegan Green Kitchari Detox Bowl fool you. It looks mild but it is full of warm spice deliciousness. This healing development goes back some 5,000 years. Bringing in a healing approach to strengthening the immune system, getting out the cobwebs and unblocking energy and toxins we store throughout the winter. It is a mixture of mung bean, basmati rice, garlic, sweet potato, spinach and a bunch of Indian spices. Everything used in this recipe you can find in any grocery store. Enjoy this one-pot gluten free Indian rice, mung bean stew.
Ingredients
Easy Vegan Green Kitchari Detox Bowl
- 1 cup Mung Beans, soaked over night and rinsed
- 1/2 cup White Basmati Rice, rinsed
- 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil or Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seed
- 1 1/2 tsp Cumin Seed
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
- 3 to 4 Bay Leaves
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, minced
- 3 to 4 cloves Fresh Garlic, minced or garlic pressed
- 1 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 14 Whole Cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, add more as needed for your desired heat
- 5 cup Water or Vegetable Broth ( you can also use Vegetable Better Then Bouillon and add it to the water)
- 1 cup Sweet Potatoes, cubed
- 2 Lg handfuls of Fresh Spinach
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Easy Vegan Green Kitchari Detox Bowl
- Soak the mung beans over night. Rinse in a sieve under fresh cool water. Set aside.
- Rinse the white basmati rice 3 or more times under water. Set aside.
- Peal and cut the sweet potato into 1 inch cubes. Clean and mince or garlic press the garlic. Peal the ginger and mince. Set aside.
- Get out all of your spices and choice of oil to use.
- Heat a large skillet that has a well fitting lid. Heat it on medium heat add the oil of choice. Add the mustard seed, cumin seed, ground coriander, bay leaves, ground turmeric, minced ginger and garlic to the hot oil. Mix them all together in the oil for one minute. Add the whole cloves, ground cinnamon and black pepper. Toss around to cover in oil for about 30 seconds.
- Add the 5 cups of vegetable broth. Stir for spices to mingle.
- Add the mung beans, white basmati rice and sweet potatoes. Stir it all together, turn the heat to low. Put a lid on the skillet and cook for 30 minutes.
- When done test for how much salt you need. Add it and stir it in.
- Add the 2 handfuls of fresh spinach. Mix it in and put the lid on for it to wilt.
- When the spinach is wilted to your desire then your kitchari is ready to serve.
- Serve it with a vegan plan yogurt, chopped cilantro and a wedge of lemon or lime.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you like more spice add an extra 1/2 of a tsp to the spices that are listed at 1 1/2 tsp. All except the mustard seeds and black pepper. Although you may want more black pepper.
