Simple Kicharee for American Lives
Kicharee, or Kichadi, is a common simple food in India, often served to sages and monks as their daily fare. In India, it is made as a very basic poor man's porridge. However, it is one of the most sattvic foods (promoting simple digestion, simple fresh nutrients, and a perfect protein when the dal is mixed together with the rice. Kicharee nourishes and cleanses very efficiently, and can be altered according to your tastes. By using herbs and ingredients appropriate to your doshic condition, it can be a very doshic balancing meal everyday. For those who do not like to cook, it offers a simple solution to eating more nutritiously without much effort, time or expense. It is very easy to make in the morning and eat at room temperature at lunch, so you can avoid eating out and microwaves. For those who enjoy cooking, they can alter cooking methods to make this as gourmet and delicious as desired.
The Most Simple of Kicharee Recipe:
Use equal parts of split mung dal (available in Indian groceries, this is split green lentils), and rice. If you want heating rice, use brown basmati (this will increase pitta, but has the most protein). If you want cooling rice, use white basmati or jasmine. If you cannot eat rice or want variation, use other grains such as quinoa, amaranth, barley, etc as you begin to experiment. If you tend to be short on protein in your daily diet, you may use 2/3 dal to 1/3 rice instead. 1 cup combined is usually plenty for one person's meal. 2 cups easily serves 2 people, usually with leftovers.
Buy an easy to use rice cooker, available at any discount store.
Use between equal amounts up to 3 times more liquid than rice/dal mix. This means for 1 cup rice/dal mix, use 1 1/2-3 cups of liquid, according to your doshas and desires. If you are trying to decrease vata, you want more moist and well cooked foods, so use 3 cups. If you are trying to reduce pitta, you likely have high metabolism and can eat less cooked drier foods, so try 1.5 cups liquid to start. If you are trying to reduce kapha, you can also use less liquid. Keep trying until you find the consistency you like as appropriate for your doshic diet. For liquid, use either broth (which can be boiled water with a bouillion cube in it, or a can of coconut milk, or vegetable broth or water).
Add 1-2 sliced carrots, 1-2 pieces of fresh kale or dried Kombu (seaweed strips found in health food stores), CCF seeds or spices according to your tastes (CCF means Cumin, Coriander and Fennel seeds in equal amounts. Make sure all spices are always organic and non-radiated: cheaper spices in regular grocers are usually radiated, which removes their medicinal quality. You can order all spices through our webstore for economical and easy ordering, or at your local health food store). Experiment with spices such as coriander, cumin and curry powders as well as the CCF seeds. Kicharee should taste good, and after years of eating it daily, I still say I've never made the same batch twice. By keeping these few key ingredients on hand, you can always make a batch without shopping, and can vary it so as not to get bored. After you get these basics down in a way that you enjoy it, start experimenting with other vegetables. Gaseous vegetables like cauliflower and brocolli are not advised, but any squashes, root vegetables and dark greens work very well.
Put all ingredients in your rice cooker, push the button, and 20 minutes later it will be ready to eat! Top with any fresh herbs of your liking, a spritz of Braggs Amino Acid spray (available in health food stores), lime, fresh cilantro, and homemade ghee (see our Educational Pages for recipe, or order from our Webstore). Or use any other toppings you desire as long as they are within your doshic diet.
For variety, you can use stewed tomatoes and chili powder and cumin powder to make it more like a chili flavor. Or you can use golden raisins with cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger powder and cardamom with coconut milk as the liquid to make more of a rice pudding flavor.
In my definition, kicharee is anything prana-ful (fresh, full of life force) and within your doshic diet, as long as it includes the split mung dal and rice. I once had a client who came in with Kicharee Stroganoff! Don't be afraid to experiment, or ask for other ideas. If you do not like your kicharee, you just haven't found the consistency and flavors to make it right for you yet. Be creative, be patient, and have fun. If you need help learning to do it so that you like it, come in for an appointment and we'll make it together!
