Easy-to-make Kitchari for Every Season
Kitchari is a staple at our house. Originally from India, this dish is commonly used in Ayurveda and recommended to anyone wanting to support their bodies through foods and spices.
We love it because it is easy to make, the kids like it, and you can adjust the recipe slightly to fit the various needs of each season.
What is Ayurveda?
If you’re new to Ayurveda, it is a natural system of medicine that originated in India. Ayurveda is the yoga of health, and works great when combined with other forms of yoga practice. Chinese Medicine originated in Ayurveda but grew and developed much further and it is now better known. At the core, Ayurveda is an expression of the natural world and our relationship to it. Understanding the changes in our environment and how they affect our bodies, allows us to find ways to regain balance when it has been lost.
At the root of Ayurveda, is an invitation to allow your body to stay connected to the rhythms of nature. Changes in environment, like the natural shifting of seasons, affect the balance of our body and mind. If we recognize those, sometimes subtle shifts, we can make adjustments in what we eat, how we move, and the amount of rest we take, to feel healthy and grounded throughout the year.
How do our needs change over the seasons?
It’s no secret that different foods affect our body and our state of mind in different ways. Since we are experiencing the change in weather and light through the seasons, eating in accordance to the seasons allows our bodies and mind to feel in balance with what is happening outside.
For example: In the summer, when the days are long and hot, our inner digestive fire is at it’s highest. In those days we drink colder beverages and eat raw vegetables because our bodies can digest them with ease. When the days get colder and shorter, so does our inner digestive fire, and so we avoid cold drinks and we eat our veggies cooked and mushy, so our bodies have an easier time digesting food and pulling out nourishment from it.
The same goes for rest. During the summer we might stay out late with friends and enjoy the extra energy and inspiration that comes with those long days. But as the days grow shorter, if we are able to recognize the shift, we might notice how we also have less energy. We might even feel some burnout from the long days of summer. And so we might begin to notice when it get’s dark and allow our bodies to go into restful mode earlier. Sleeping longer during the winter months is an important part of learning to manage seasonal challenges like depression and anxiety.
Seasonal variations for kitchari
Have you heard about eating Soul foods?
The acronym S.O.U.L. stands for Seasonal, Organic, Unprocessed, and Local.
Of course we can’t eat a diet that’s fully all those things, but we can give priority to Soul foods whenever possible, and this kitchari recipe makes it easy:
Spring:
In the spring, add a cup of bitter greens, a few asparagus stalks, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. These are ingredients that grow feely during the spring season and that will help wake up our mind and body up for the warmer months ahead.
Summer:
Cubbed zucchini and other summer squashes, bell peppers, a cup of spinach.
Fall:
Cubed pumpkin, butternut squash, beets, or sweet potato help our bodies ground back from the summer frenzy, into colder days. Cinnamon and cardamom are warming spices, great for colder days in fall and winter.
Winter:
Carrots, chopped collard greens or kale. Ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. An 1/8 of a teaspoon of asafetida can help digestion when it’s at it’s slowest in the colder months.
How to make kitchari
INGREDIENTS
1/2 bunch of cilantro
2 TBSP ghee
1 inch of ginger, minced
1 TSP turmeric powder
1/2 TSP powdered cardamom
coconut shavings - unsweetened
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of basmati rice
1 cup of mung beans
7 cups of water
seasonal vegetables, diced
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large pot, on medium heat, sauté the ghee, cilantro, ginger, turmeric, powder cardamom, coconut shavings, salt and pepper.
Add the rice and beans and mix thoroughly
Add 7 cups of water and bring to a boil
Add your veggies and simmer for 30 minutes covered
The final dish has the consistency of porridge. Serve in a bowl, add some fresh cilantro on top and enjoy!
