Khichdi – Your Body’s Reset Button

The Ayurveda Approach

The philosophical foundation of Ayurveda is that creation expresses itself through the five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. These elements manifest in the body as the three governing principles called doshas: vata, pitta and kapha. Everyone has all three of these doshas to varying degrees, although one and sometimes two tend to be predominant and the other(s) secondary.

One of the main goals of Ayurveda is to maintain optimal health as well as support the bodies healing process by helping the body eliminate toxins and reestablish constitutional balance. To achieve this, Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of proper nutrition through proper food choices, food combining and cooking methods, as well as herbal nutrition, all based on the specific needs of the individual and any current imbalance of the doshas.

Okay, so what is Khichdi?

Khichdi is a delicious traditional Ayurvedic dish that’s known for its ability to detox the body and balance all three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. My Ayurvedic teacher explained it as a recipe that resets your body. I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first that it would detox my body and even more skeptical that I would feel any different. It’s funny how we don’t give any credit to traditions that have been used and passed down for thousands of years, but it truly did detox my body. I’m happy to share this recipe with you.

Khichdi – The Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Mung Beans (sprouted) …………. 1 Cup  (removes toxins, pesticides & insecticides, from the body)
Brown Rice (sprouted) …………… 1 Cup (you can also use basmati rice)
Ghee or Coconut Oil…… 2 TB
Turmeric (fresh) …………………… 1 TB  (you can use powdered)
Cumin ……………………………… 1 TB
Fennel ……………………………… 1 TB
Mustard Seed …………………….. 1 TB
Coriander ………………………….. 1 TB
Crystal Sea Salt ………………….. 1 tsp
Cayenne …………………………… 1/4 tsp
Garlic ………………………………. 5 cloves
Onion ………………………………. 1 half
Ginger ……………………………… 1 nib  (I usually add 3 nibs. I love ginger – it’s GREAT for digestion and inflammation!)
Vegetables: ……………………….. Chopped
Carrots, Red Cabbage, Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, (I’ve also added Spinach and Sweet potatoes)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Measure out mung beans and soak overnight. If you use sprouted mung beans you can skip this step.
  2. In a large pot (I’ll refer to this as the mixture) add mung beans, brown rice, sea salt, chopped ginger to 6 cups of boiling water.
  3. Add Ghee to a skillet and brown: cumin, fennel, mustard seed, and coriander until the seeds finish popping. Don’t burn
  4. Add ingredients from the skillet and turmeric to the mixture.
  5. Add Ghee to skillet and brown the onion and garlic. Then add it to the mixture.
  6. Add chopped vegetables to the mixture.
  7. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  8. Stir periodically and you may need to add more water.
  9. Enjoy! It’s even better as left overs in the following days.

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Vegetarian Natural Cold Remedy Recipe

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This Recipe should get you through until cold season blows over.

Cold-Fighting Ginger Broth
Serves five

Ginger is a powerful antihistamine and decongestant; lemongrass eases headaches and stifles coughs.

Ingredients
3 pieces ½ in.-thick fresh ginger
½ lb. shallots
5 qt. water
½ lb. carrots
1 lemongrass stalk (white part only)

1 bunch green onion (white part for broth, green part for garnish if desired)
1½ tbsp. pink salt
2 tbsp. fish sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. Crush ginger.

3. Put the shallots and ginger on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.

4. Fill a large stockpot with the water and bring to a boil.

5. Add the roasted shallots, ginger, carrots, lemongrass, green onion; bring to a boil.

6. Lower the heat to moderate and simmer, about 30-minutes. Add salt, and fish sauce. Drain broth into a separate pot.

For extra-potent cold relief, pour a serving-size portion (about 32 oz.) of the broth into a smaller pot and add a 1½ in.-thick slice of ginger and 1 lemongrass stalk (just the white part). Bring to a boil and drink hot.

Balance your PITTA and KAPHA dosha: Roasted Brussel Sprouts Recipe

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EAT YOUR VEGETABLES

Brussel Sprouts have a huge amount of Vitamin C, Vitamin A and fiber — here is one of my favorite Roasted Brussels Sprout Recipes:

1lb Brussels sprout, trimmed and quartered lengthwise

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon, fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. Rinse and pat dry the Brussels sprouts. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

3. Transfer to a baking pan, cover and bake for about 30 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are cooked.