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.

Masala Chaí

Chai means as much as “mixed-spice tea” or simple “tea” which originated in India and gained popularity around the world. You can find chaí nowadays in most coffee places, traditionally it is made with black tea and a range of different herbs and spices.

Winter is the perfect time to warm up your body with a nourishing warm drink and therefore I would like to share my favorite Masala Chai recipes from the province of Gujarat in India.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Portions: 4 - 6

Ingredients:

3 - 4 cloves, roughly ground
4 green cardamom pods, ground
1/2 cinnamon stick, 1 - 1,5 cm long
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
3 tsp tea leaves
0,6 l milk
jaggery (or similar natural sugar), for taste

Bring 750 ml water to boil and at all spices to it. Let it simmer on medium heat for 2 minutes.

Add the tea leaves to it and allow it to boil for another minute. Reduce the heat and let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Pour the milk and bring the tea to boil again. Reduce the heat again and let it simmer for another 2 minutes.

Take the pot from the stove and pour the tea through a strainer into cups or mugs and serve hot with sugar on the side for individual sweetening.

If you have your chaí with honey, please make sure to wait until the tea is room temperature before adding your honey.

Enjoy ~ Undine

Aloo Matar - an easy potatoe and peas curry

This Punjabi dish from the Indian subcontinent is easy to make and spices up your kitchen table. Aloo Matar is a  creamy tomato dish containing out of potatoes and peas. Enjoy the tastes ~ Undine

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Ghee - or other oil

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• a pinch of Asafoetida (Hing) - optional

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp minced ginger

• 1 bay leave

• 2 tbsp chopped coriander

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste - if you prefer it less hot, use less cayenne

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3 tomatoes chopped - alternatively, half a can-dized tomatoes

• 4 dutch cream potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces

• 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen

• 2 tbsp cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the Ghee in a large pot over medium heat and add cumin seeds, fry for a couple of seconds. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes and add a pinch of Asafoetida to it. Add the bay leaves, garlic, and ginger and fry everything for about 1 minute.

2. Add the garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, and salt. Stir to coat the mixture, then add the tomatoes. Sauté until the tomatoes have softened and starting to break down for about 5 minutes.

3. Blend the sauce with a stick blender or food processor.

4. Add one cup of water, the potatoes, peas, and 1 Tbsp Coriander.

5. Bring everything to boil, then turn the heat down, cover with a lid, and let the mixture simmer until the potatoes are tender, usually 10-15 minutes.

6. Optional you can add 2 Tbsp cream to the mixture. Garnish with remaining coriander and serve with Basmati Rice, Roti, Naan or fresh bread.

You can transform this dish into a vegan version as well, by replacing the Ghee with a Vegetable Oil and instead of cream, coconut cream (be careful not to use too much coconut, since it makes the dish heavy and harder to digest)