What a Yogi Eats...

... during Panchakarma.

KITCHARI! Yay, Kitchari! for 5 days. All kitchari, all the time. yay...meh.

But seriously. Panchakarma (cleasning program) is an excellent way to balance your bodies digestive fire. Kitchari is a very baisc meal that is easily digested by the body, it is also a fairly flexible dish so you can spice (ok well not too spicy) it up and make variations. Here is the recipe I followed on my 5 day panchakarma:



Kitchari

2TBLS Ghee
1/2tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2tso Cumin Seeds
1/2 cup Yellow Mung Bean Dall (soaked overnight in water)
1 cup Basmati Rice
1tsp Ground Cumin
1tsp Ground Coriander
1/2tsp Turmeric Powder
3-6 cups Water
Vegetables *If you are unfamiliar with Ayurveda try CARROTS, ZUCCHINI, GREEN BEANS, SPINACH (if you are familiar with Ayurveda and your specific Dosha check the links below for dosha specific recipes)

Method:
1. melt the GHEE in a heavy bottom pan
2. add the MUSTARD and CUMIN seeds and toast until the begin to emit aroma and pop
3. drain excess water from MUNG DAAL*, add DAAL, BASMATI, CUMIN, CORIANDER and TURMERIC
*presoaking daal is not necessary but it aids in easy digestion
4. stir until well combined but do not burn the daal
5. add 3 cups of water*
*you can add as much as water as you like depending on how soupy or dry you like your Kitchari, experiment and find the best level for you.
6. add vegetables
7. cook until veggies are soft.

In the picture above I substituted Quinoa for Basmati because after a few days of basmati only i was having trouble...hmmm how to say this delicately...pooping. Yep I said it, also quinoa has more protein than basmati which is good for active people. Or people like me who teach yoga and have to say things like Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana out load (much harder to do with a hungry fuzzy panchakarma brain). There are about 1,000 different versions of Kitchari recipes out there, just do a search in any old search engine or if you already know your dosha you can try dosha specific substitutions from Joyful Belly or try one of there 3 dosha specific Kitchari Recipes.

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an Ayurcedic practitioner nor am I a doctor, seek the advice of licensed professional before starting any health/diet program.