I just finished my annual 7-day Kitchadi cleanse. It is a way to prepare the body for the autumn when it needs nourishing to prepare it for the cold winter months ahead.

Kitchadi is often seen as food for the ill or convalescents, which it is; however, it is also so much more.

In this blog post, we’ll look at what Kitchadi is, explain its benefits, and provide five reasons why it is good to implement it into our diet.

If you are ready to add some more goodness to your diet, this post is for you.

What is Kitchadi?

Ayurvedic Kitchadi is a combination of rice and dal. Easiest to digest is yellow split mung dal, but you can also use whole mung beans, masoor dal (red lentils) or chana dal (split chickpeas without husk).

Spices such as cumin, turmeric, and ginger are added to create balance for all three constitutional types, Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Kitchadi can be combined with various seasonal vegetables, preferably fast-cooking ones such as carrots, zucchini, and green beans.

What makes it so beneficial?

There are six tastes in Ayurveda: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, spicy, and astringent. The first three are anabolic; they are bodybuilders, which means they nourish the tissues of our body.

Both rice and mung dal are sweet, which is a nourishing taste with cooling qualities; they do not aggravate our system.

There are more benefits to Kitchadi.

1. Kitchadi is a balanced protein combination that provides us with all essential amino acids (muscle growth, communication and transportation, digestion, and immune system). This makes it a wonderfully nutritious meal for the entire body.

2. It is easy to digest. The body can easily absorb the nutrients, which gives digestion a break. For this reason, Kitchadi is an ideal companion for cleanses and days when we don’t feel so great, using rice with mung dal rather than other combinations.

3. Kitchadi has a healing effect on our intestinal walls, balancing the irritating effects that stress puts on our system.

4. This combination of rice and dals stabilises blood sugar.

5. It is tridoshic, suitable for all three body constitutions.

Create an easy and delicious Kitchadi in 30 min

Kitchadi is an easy dish to prepare. I love fitting it into a busy schedule by soaking the rice and lentil mixture and chopping vegetables in advance. Then, all it needs is cooking, which takes about 20 minutes, and I have a tasty and nutritious meal to eat. 

Split Mung Dal Kitchadi

The recipe below is ideal for all seasons but is particularly beneficial during transitional periods when our digestion is vulnerable.

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