Kitchari

So a while back, I made a trip to Sasang's Global Markets. My spirit was feeling heavy and my body lethargic, so I wanted a bit of a pick me up. That's when I learned about kitchari, an ayrvedic detox meal. You can find countless recipes online, but I made a VERY simplified version of the meal for my own purposes.

First, I washed and soaked one cup each of batsami rice and yellow split dahl.

Next, I prepared two tablespoons of ghee and one tablespoon each of turmeric, coriander, and cumin.

In a pot, I heated the ghee (smells so amaaazzzzing!) and mixed in all of the spices. Then I combined the rice and beans in the ghee/spice mixture. Next, I added 2 cups of water and brought it all to a boil. Finally, I lowered the heat to a simmer and then let the mixture sit for 20-30 min.

the result

So, I ate this for five days straight-- breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes I added a pinch of salt for flavoring. Sometimes I ate the kitchari with green beans, sweet potatoes, or other veggies I had lying around.

The Good:
First, eating a mono diet made cooking SUPER easy. I got really efficient at preparing one meal. I could make large batches and store them easily in the refrigerator. In the long run, it also saved me money.

Then, after eating such blandness mush for almost a week, my taste buds were super heightened when I reintroduced my normal diet. Bibimbap had never tasted so good!

Finally, (and most strikingly) around the third day, out of no where-- I had an odd feeling of peace. I can't attribute it to anything external, since I was sitting on my couch doing absolutely nothing when I noticed. The feeling wasn't ecstatic or blissful, but rather a feeling of balance. I can only explain it as a "lack of want" that was neither happy or sad. I just felt fine for no reason. Which I realize now, is a feeling I'm not familiar with.

The Bad:
I didn't poop for 5 days! The diet is super low in fiber and (particularly with my vata dosha type) needs to be supplemented with A LOT of root vegetables or supplements.

The Verdict:
It was GREAT. I would totally do it again. I certainly felt a difference. During this time, I also cut out all caffeine, sugar, and processed food from my diet-- so that certainly could have been it as well!


Happiness or peace can't be forced, but we can create the circumstances for it to thrive. This can be done by choosing to take in what serve us... whether that be through our bellies, though our thoughts, through the words we read, or through the people we surround ourselves with.