Slow Cooking Kitchari – Recipe

Kitchari is a traditional Ayurvedic dish that holds immense benefits for postpartum mothers.

Traditionally, this nourishing and easily digestible meal consists of a blend of rice, mung/moong dhal (Split mung beans) and a variety of gentle spices, making it an ideal choice for postpartum recovery.

Kitchari provides essential nutrients, including protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals, and can support healing and rejuvenation after childbirth.

The warming spices used such as turmeric, cumin, and ginger, help to promote digestion, reduce inflammation, and support the body’s natural healing processes.

Overall, Kitchari is a comforting and nourishing dish that is believed to help replenish the mother’s strength and vitality during the sacred postpartum period. This is a version of it, adapted from various recipes and using the slow cooker. It is very easy to digest.

However: If you notice this meal causes tummy upsets with your baby, wait until your baby is older (5 months+).

This recipe has been adapted from various recipes, for cooking in a slow cooker. When you can put a simple meal together in a slow cooker it saves you so much time, and it’s ready and warm for you to eat when you’re hungry.

Preparation Note: The important thing to remember is to have your quinoa or rice, and mung dahl soaking for a least a few hours, or ideally overnight before cooking.

Use: slow cooker or pot on the stove (pot will require regular stirring, checking and adding water).

Soak quinoa/rice and mung dahl for a few hours before cooking

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil (keeping 1 part of it aside)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated

1/2 cup quinoa or 1 cup basmati rice (soaked)

1 cup mung dhal, soaked overnight

1 carrot, chopped

10 cups water

1 tspn black mustard seeds

2-3 teaspoons cumin seeds or ground cumin

2 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 teaspon black ground pepper

1 tspn fenugreek seeds

2 teaspoons coriander powder

pinch asafetida (optional)

2 Bay leaves

1 teaspoon celtic salt

fresh natural coconut yoghurt to serve

• Heat 1 teaspn ghee/coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add mustard seeds and wait until they start popping. Add garlic and ginger, gently fry until soft

• Add cumin seeds and cook for a minute

Transfer to Slow cooker. (Or keep in the pot on stove)

• Add mung dhal, quinoa (or rice) and 10 cups of water

• Add salt and remaining spices, remaining ghee/coconut oil and add diced carrot

• Keep on slow cooking for 6 – 8 hours (Or Keep it simmering, with regular stirring, and adding water, for 60-90 mins on stove).

You want the mixture to be quite soup like so the mung dhal is completely disintegrated and if using rice, the rice should still have some shape.

If it is thick and sticking to the bottom, add one more cup of water.

• Once ready, serve immediately with dairy free yoghurt and fresh coriander to taste, and a squeeze of lemon if you like.