Ayurvedic Kitchari with Solé Weller

This ayurvedic one-pot meal is a staple in my kitchen and once you try it, you will understand why. Your friends and kids will love it too and it’s so nice to be able to have something quick and ready on hand. I usually make one large pot each week and it lasts me for several days.

Kitchari is a hindi word that means mixture, in this instance it's rice and mung beans. Here are some of the many benefits of Kitchari:

• It’s quick and easy to make, plus super tasty
• It’s highly digestible so my tummy is happy
• The mixture of rice with mung beans makes a complete protein and the veggies ensure plenty of healthy fiber so elimination is guaranteed to be smooth
• The skillful spice combination is extremely balancing when I feel anxious, stressed or depleted.
• One pot will last for several days, so it’s great to have such deep nourishment on hand when I am busy
• Eating a relative mono-diet is actually very healthy because our body knows how to assimilate and digest the nutrients (compared to eating a large variety of ingredients for each meal which confuses our digestion)
• Kitchari nourishes all the tissues of the body and therefore is the preferred food to use when fasting on a mono-fast or while going through a cleansing program.
• Kitchari is excellent for detoxification and de-aging of the cells.
• This unique blend of spices satisfies all six tastes leaving us deeply nourished and feeling perfectly full.

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup mung dal (split yellow)
• 6 cups (approx.) OWL Vegan Broth Elixir or filtered water
• 1 large piece of Kombu seaweed (helps aid digestibility when cooking beans)
• ½" to 1" ginger root, chopped or grated
• 1½ cups assorted vegetables*
• 1 fresh lemon or lime
• A bit of mineral salt (1 tsp. or so)
• 2 tsp. Ghee
• ½ tsp. mustard seeds
• ½ tsp. whole cumin seeds
• ½ tsp. whole coriander seeds
• ½ tsp. cumin powder
• ½ tsp. coriander powder
• ½ tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

*Optional- it’s ok to use whatever is on hand, and some of my preferred veggies are carrots, kale or spinach, zucchini, sweet potato or brussels sprouts

GARNISH OPTIONS

• Chopped cilantro
• Avocado
• Ghee
• Kimchi or Kraut
• Extra squeeze of lemon or lime

PREPARATION

Carefully pick over rice and mung dal to remove any stones. Wash each separately in at least 2 changes of water. Add the 6 cups of water to the rice and dal and cook covered (slow simmer) until it becomes soft, about 20 minutes. While that is cooking, prepare any vegetables that suit your constitution. Cut them into smallish pieces of even size. Add the vegetables to the cooked rice and dal mixture and cook 10 minutes longer. Cover so the vegetable steam.

In a separate saucepan, sauté the seeds in the ghee (can sub coconut oil) until they pop. Then add the other spices and stir together to release the flavors. Be careful not to burn the spices, I often turn the heat off before I add the powdered spices and sauté for a minute or two until the aroma is released. Stir the sautéed spices into the cooked dal, rice, and vegetable mixture. Once it’s finished cooking, squeeze the juice of one lemon or lime, salt, and stir.

Get creative with your garnishes and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Dr. Vasant Lad.

Solé Weller

Wellness thrives within me. Quite literally, in my bones and from my soul. Born into a yogic community in California and three decades later, yoga remains the foundation of my life. It’s my joy to share this ancient wisdom with you.

Teaching yoga and meditation has taken me across the globe and filled my life with enriching experiences. I travelled with Fleetwood Mac as a part of their wellness coaching family, I trained and rehabilitated a variety of professional athletes, had the honor of leading private wellness retreats for Oprah Winfrey and teach workshops and trainings on 5 of our continents. One of my greatest passions is hosting retreats and spiritual adventures around the globe. At home, you'll find me either on the sandy shores of Venice Beach or the lush Island of Maui. Please join me and let us transform your life.

Follow Solé on Instagram and learn more at www.soleweller.com