Digestive Kichadi

By: Ilona Napravnik

This is a great dish for digestion and can be used solely as a cleanse for a couple of weeks in cases of chronic digestive ailments.

½ cup               brown basmati rice

¼ cup               whole mung beans

1 ½ tsp             cumin seeds

2 tbsp               ghee (clarified butter)

3                       bay leaves

1 ½ tsp             coriander seeds

½ tsp                tumeric

1 tsp                 dry oregano

1 tsp                 Celtic sea salt or Himalayan rock salt

2” piece            Kombu

1-2 tsp              fresh ginger root, grated

3 cups              water

3 cups              fresh vegetables, such as carrots, zucchini, celery, kale, 

                         collard greens, chard, cabbage, or summer squash

1. Pick through the beans, soak overnight or for 24 hours with one changewater for better digestibility.  You may even consider sprouting them for one day.

2. Rinse the soaked beans together with the rice in a colander until rinse water is clear.
3. Grind the cumin and coriander in a coffee grinder or with mortar and pestle.
4. Warm ghee in a medium saucepan and add the freshly ground cumin and coriander seeds, bay leaf and oregano.  Sauté lightly until aromatic but not burnt.  Stir in turmeric, ginger, rice and mung.  Add water and kombu.
5. Simmer covered over low heat until beans and rice are soft, about 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, wash and dice vegetables.
7. Add salt to the dish together with the vegetables before all the water has been absorbed by the beans and rice.  Do not stir and cook undisturbed until completely tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
8. Stir thoroughly and serve warm.

Holistic Food Preparation Notes; Institute of Holistic Nutrition; 2010; p, 65.