Breakfast Kitchari

In the spring, monsoon, and autumn, I usually do a Panchakarma.  A Panchakarma is an Ayurvedic type of cleanse I do to remove toxins, balance my doshas, and help prepare my body for the changing season.  A client of mine confessed that there was no way that she could eat the same Kitchari for every meal.  I honestly have the same problem.  As a child, I sometimes ate the same horrible soup for weeks at every meal.  Sometimes it was spoiled, but I was still forced to eat it.  I find it a little triggering to eat the same thing at every meal because of that.  For me, it would be easier to fast than eat the same thing, so I came up with a slight variation to eat for breakfast.

This is also something that can be eaten anytime you feel tired or think you need to remove toxins from the body.  If you have pets that have ever been sick.  The vet recommends feeding them boiled rice and chicken.  This is the human version to help reset your body and remove toxins.

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Breakfast Kitchari

2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

black pepper to taste

2/3 cup red lentils, soaked for 8 hours

3 cups water

1/2 cup coconut milk (Kapha use oat milk)

1 pinch of pink salt

4 pitted dates, soaked and chopped (kapha use 2)

1/2 cup basmati rice (kapha use quinoa)

1 large carrot or small sweet potato, grated or finely minced

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 tbsp lime juice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp walnuts, toasted and chopped

2 tbsp unsweetened coconut + more to garnish

1-2 tbsp maple syrup (kapha use honey)

Makes 4 servings.

Add your coconut oil or ghee to a large pot over medium heat.  I give the option of the oil because some of my pitta clients don't like ghee.  As soon as it is melted, add the cinnamon, turmeric, garam masala, cardamom, and black pepper.  Stir for 1 minute; the spices should bloom and become aromatic.  Add the lentils, water, coconut milk, salt, and dates.  I use red lentils because they become mushy like split peas.  I find cooking them until they become mushy helps with the American idea of eating legumes for breakfast as being odd.  This solves that issue; they just disappear, leaving a thick rice porridge.  I add the dates whole at this stage to hydrate them and make them easier to chop later.  Bring to a boil, cover, and then reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.

Remove the dates, add the rice, carrots, or sweet potato.  Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.  Chop the dates and add them back to the porridge with the ginger, lime juice, nutmeg, walnuts, and coconut.  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Garnish with coconut and maple syrup.

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Take care of your body; it's the only place you have to live.

 - Jim Rohn