Cleansing with Khichadi

Why do we love Khichadi in Ayurveda?

Khichadi is a very simple, staple food in Ayurveda that we like to use during the times we cleanse to detox and increase our digestive fire.  It helps to improve the function of our metabolism as well as reducing any build-up of toxins in our body. 

Why is this necessary?... Let’s look at what you consumed over this last week.
What did you eat during work time, when you ordered in or dined out, and what you are consuming on the weekend?

We constantly put our body through stages of irregular food intake – which in turn can change everything in our system; from the way we eliminate waste, to our sleep, our mood, and our thought patterns.

In order to give our system a break and improve our immunity and gut health, we suggest a simple combination of mung beans and rice in Ayurveda. This combination creates a perfectly balanced and nutritious dish. Khichadi is especially good in cases of poor digestion as it promotes the elimination of toxins (Ama) in the body - making it the perfect choice for detoxification in Springtime.

Why do we love to detox in Spring?  

The digestive fire (Agni) burns the strongest during the winter months (this is so we can digest heavier food, producing enough heat for the body during the colder time of the year). Because of this, it is during Winter that we crave savory, fatty, or sweet foods - which in return creates more Kapha accumulation (a comfy little fat patch for warmth) in our body.

In Spring, when it gets warmer, the excessive Kapha starts to melt and can lead to sluggishness, increased phlegm, respiratory congestion, hay fever, and Spring flu. The melting of the Kapha reduces our internal digestive fire down to a small flame.

Because of this, Springtime foods need to be lighter and easier to digest – kickstarting and stimulating our digestive fire (Jadhara-Agni) and metabolism (Dhatu-Agni).  If this does not happen, we can create allergies and ‘colds’, digestive disorders, and other Kapha imbalances.  The ‘spring fatigue’ we often see throughout the general population is only one consequence of our digestive fire dwindling - yet still feeding the body heavy foods.

In order to reduce the excess Kapha build up in the body and to not only ALLOW but ENCOURAGE the melting of our winter ‘fat patch’; foods in Spring need to be bitter, pungent, and astringent. Light meals, especially in the evening, such as warm soups and Khichadi should be consumed. This is the perfect time to do a detox or to do a fasting regime.

Khichadi Recipes

1 cup of rice
½ cup mung beans (peeled)
4 - 6 cups of water
1 tablespoon of ghee
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander seed powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 flat teaspoon of finely chopped fresh ginger
1 pinch of salt
(1 pinch of Asafoetida)

Wash the mung beans and rice.
Heat the ghee and roast the spice powder in it for 1 minute, add the ginger.
Add the mung beans and rice and roast for another minute.
Add water and cook until soft (30-40 minutes).
Add mineral Salt and Coriander to taste.

The rice can also be prepared separately from the moong beans. It is important that the consistency of both is rather smooth - like a soup or stew. If you prefer you can also add other spices to your Khichadi: cloves, cardamom, paprika powder, pepper, asafoetida, and finally coriander or curry leaves.

Spring tip for a morning drink: Add the juice of half a lemon and a teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink first in the morning.

Recipes for your Ayurvedic Summer Kitchen

Zucchini Basil Soup

Serves 4, 25 minutes

• 1 kg Zucchini

• 1 Tbsp Ghee

• 675 ml Water

• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

• 1 pinch of Chilly

• 2 pinches of Nutmeg

• 1/2 Tsp Mineral Salt

• 1 fresh bunch of Basil

• 2-3 Tbsp Cream

Wash the Zucchini and slice into quarters.

Place the Ghee in a pot once heated add the cumin seeds and stir until fragrant. Add Zucchini and roast for 3-5 min.

Add chilly, nutmeg and salt. Stir the mixture for a couple of seconds and add water and simmer for 5 min.

Pluck basil leaves from the stems, wash and roughly chop. Add the basil leaves to the Zucchini mixture and use a stick blender until smooth consistency.

The cream is not necessary but it does increase flavor and texture.

For the big hunger: You can complement the soup with a slice of toasted bread and ghee or cottage cheese.