Recipes for the Cleanse
Remember that your food will absorb the energy of your mindset and state of being while you are cooking. You can assist your healing process by bringing good intentions and a sense of presence into your kitchen.
Simple Oatmeal
Kitchari is traditionally eaten three times a day during an Ayurvedic cleanse, but this simple oatmeal recipe is a good alternative if preparing kitchari before breakfast is not realistic for you. This recipe can also provide a helpful break from the kitchari monodiet—which is especially important if you tend to tire of similar foods easily.
While fruit and grains are typically considered a poor food combination, oats are a particularly light grain and are generally quite digestible. The taste profile of oats also has a lot in common with these particular fruits, which makes them more compatible.
In addition, when fruits and oats are cooked together, their more diverse qualities are able to mingle in a way that further improves their digestibility.
Ingredients
1/2 cup dry rolled oats
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cups raisins
1/2–1 cup fresh apple, apricot, peach, or pear (cut into small pieces)
Optional Warming Spices
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
Directions
Combine the raisins, cut fruit, 1 cup water, and any desired spices in a small saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes, or until the fruit is tender and well-cooked (apples may take a tad longer).
Add the oats, the remaining 1/2 cup of water, stir, and return to a boil.
When the mixture boils, stir thoroughly, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for five to ten minutes, until the oats are soft and the water is absorbed. Cool and serve.
Tridoshic Kitchari
Kitchari is a stew-type meal that is prepared from basmati rice and split mung dal. During a cleanse, appropriate vegetables provide texture, flavor, and an important source of fiber.
Kitchari is very easy to digest, which makes it a wonderful food for any cleansing regimen. It allows the digestive system to rest, allocating extra energy to the body's natural detoxification processes.
The quantities in this recipe provide a good starting point for a day's supply of kitchari, but as you learn your preferences and habits, you are welcome to adjust the quantities to better fit your needs.
Feel free to make any ingredient adjustments to adapt this recipe to your own unique needs. For example, you may want to use another grain in place of basmati rice or coconut oil instead of ghee.
Ingredients
1 cup white basmati rice
1/2 cup yellow mung dal
2 tablespoons ghee
1 tablespoon kitchari spice mix*
1 teaspoon natural mineral salt
6 cups water
2 cups easily digestible vegetables (such as asparagus, carrots, celery, green beans, summer squash, sweet potato, winter squash, or zucchini)
*Spice Mix
If you'd like to create your own spice mix for kitchari, follow this recipe. Or, you can save time with our ready-made Kitchari Spice Mix.
1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel powder
1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
Directions
Soak the split mung dal overnight (or for at least four hours).
Strain the soaking water, combine with the rice and rinse the mixture at least twice, or until the water runs clear, and set aside.
In a medium saucepan or soup pot, warm the ghee over medium heat. Add spice mix (see recipe on back of spice mix for quantity.)
Stir the rice and dal mixture into the spices and sauté for a few moments, stirring constantly.
Add the 6 cups of water, turn heat to high, and bring to a boil.
When the soup comes to a boil, stir in the salt, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about forty minutes.
Meanwhile, cut your vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces. About halfway through the kitchari's cooking process, stir in the vegetables and allow the stew to return to a boil.
Continue to simmer until the rice, dal, and vegetables are fully cooked. Remove from heat, cool, and serve.
Note: some vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and winter squash, might require more cooking time and may be added earlier, if necessary.
Aim to have very little water remaining when finished. The consistency should be that of a vegetable stew as opposed to a broth. While you want the beans, rice, and vegetables to be thoroughly cooked, excess water and over-stirring can cause the ingredients to become thick and gummy.
Garnish the kitchari with your choice of fresh cilantro, coriander chutney, and sesame chutney. Enjoy!
Fresh Coriander Chutney
This tridoshic recipe from The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar is very tasty and is especially useful for reducing excess pitta.
Ingredients
1 bunch (1/4 pound) fresh coriander leaves and stems (also known as cilantro or Chinese parsley)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup grated coconut
2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, chopped
1 teaspoon barley malt or raw honey
1 teaspoon natural mineral salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Blend the lemon juice, water and fresh coriander until the coriander is chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until it is like a paste.
Use sparingly. This chutney can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one week. For a silkier texture, use only the leaves and the tops of the fresh coriander stalks.
Sesame Seed Chutney
This tridoshic recipe from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing by Usha and Vasant Lad is especially good for people with vata and kapha imbalances. Reduce cayenne pepper to 1/4 teaspoon if there is any pitta imbalance, or eliminate it entirely.
Ingredients
1 cup roasted and ground sesame seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon natural mineral salt
Directions
Blend ingredients together and garnish kitchari with about 1 teaspoon of the mixture.
Alakananda Ma's Rehydration Tea
This delicious recipe has been provided courtesy of Alakananda Ma.
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups pure water
2 heaping teaspoons peppermint or fresh mint
1 heaping teaspoon brahmi gotu/kola powder
1/4 teaspoon natural mineral salt
1/4 lime (squeezed juice)
2 teaspoons turbinado sugar
Directions
Boil water. Remove from heat and add herbs, salt, and lime.
Steep ten minutes, strain, add turbinado, and drink warm or at room temperature.
Shopping List
Amounts recommended are approximate and may need to be adjusted according to your needs.
Herbs & Products
While you will certainly have leftovers of any Ayurvedic herbs you order for your cleanse, you can continue to take any of them after the cleanse to support further detoxification.
Triphala powder (1/2 ounce) or Triphala tablets (6 tablets)
Optional: Brahmi/Gotu Kola powder for rehydration tea (1/2–1 ounce)
Optional: Vata Digest, Pitta Digest, or Kapha Digest tablets can be taken after meals to improve agni (nine tablets)
Groceries
Organic White Basmati Rice, (21 ounces)
Organic Yellow Mung Dal (12 ounces)
Organic Ghee, clarified butter—available at most health food stores (6 ounces)
Optional:
Organic rolled oats (1 1/2 cup or 6 ounces)
Optional: raisins (3/4 cup or 4 1/2 ounces)
Apple, apricot, peach, or pear (1 1/2–3 cups)
Organic roasted sesame seeds (1 cup per batch of sesame seed chutney)
Vegetables for kitchari (6 cups total), such as:
Carrots
Green beans
Summer squash
Sweet potato
Winter squash
Zucchini
Spices and garnishes to have on hand
Black mustard seeds
Black pepper
Cilantro (1/4 pound per batch of fresh coriander chutney)
Whole cumin seeds
Coconut, unsweetened and shredded
Coriander powder
Fennel powder
Ginger root, fresh
Hing (asafoetida)
Lemons
Limes
Mint, fresh, or dried peppermint
Sweeteners: Barley malt or raw honey; turbinado sugar
Optional spices and garnishes:
Cardamom powder (for oatmeal)
Cayenne pepper (for sesame seed chutney)
Cinnamon powder (for oatmeal)
Ginger powder (for oatmeal)
Nutmeg (for oatmeal)