Kitchari Bowl
This traditional slow-cooked ayurvedic recipe has all the elements Nicolette Richer looks for in healing food. It combines sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent flavours in one soothing and detoxifying dish. Serve with your favourite nutrient-rich salad.
Serves 4
Time: 45 minutes, plus overnight to soak rice and moong dal
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- ¾ cup moong dal (split mung beans)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 small yam or sweet potato
- 2 carrots
- ½ bunch dark kale
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons ajwain
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 6 cups water
Garnish
- Dried coconut
- Cilantro
- Lemon wedge
- Tamari
Soak rice and dal in water overnight. Drain and set aside.
Dice onion. Chop yam, carrots and kale into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Dry roast all the spices except ginger and turmeric in a large pot over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 2 teaspoons of water and stir together.
Add diced onions to spices and sauté until soft and translucent, adding small amounts of water as needed if it gets too dry.
Grate ginger and add to the pot with turmeric. Add 6 cups of water and rice, dal, carrots and yam.
Stir while increasing the temperature until boiling, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Add kale and continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice and dal are soft. If the water evaporates too quickly, add a touch more and continue cooking until everything is soft and tender.
Transfer the cooked kitchari to a serving bowl and garnish with dried coconut and cilantro. Serve with a lemon wedge and some gluten-free tamari.
Vitality Juice
This 100-year-old recipe is healing, is good for repairing the liver and has long been used for reversing chronic disease and detoxifying cells.
Makes 1 serving, approximately 8 ounces
- 4 medium carrots, including peel
- 1 green apple, including skin
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
- ¼ lemon
Blend everything in your juicer.