Ayurvedic Recipe | Loose Weight While You Eat Kapha Reducing Kitchari
Updated: Oct 3
Invigorate your metabolism, enhance digestion, and cleanse with Ayurvedic Kapha reducing kitchari. Kitchari is a perfect food--it's food as medicine at its best. Kitchari provides the digestive system a much-needed vacation as it's easy to digest, it's cleansing, nourishing, and it balances all the doshas. Ready to learn about what kitchari is and how to detox Ayurveda style? Let’s dig in!
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Lose Weight While You Eat Kapha Reducing Kitchari
Kapha Reducing Kitchari is an easy, effective, and delicious way to balance Kapha dosha. This recipe brings in the qualities that reduce Kapha which supports healthy weight and stimulates metabolism. Simple, nourishing, easy and cleansing.
In Ayurveda, food is medicine and medicine is food. “When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when diet is correct, medicine is of no need." -Ayurveda proverbs
According to Healthine, Kitchari offers numerous benefits:
Eliminate accumulated toxins from the mind and body tissues.
Improve digestion and restore regular bowel movements.
Remove heaviness and congestion in the body.
Support a healthy body weight or weight loss.
Improve energy and vitality.
Promote overall health and wellness.
Ayurvedic Recipe | Lose Weight While You Eat Kapha Reducing Kitchari
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What Is Kitchari?
You may have seen it written several ways—kitchari, kichdi, khichdee, and khichri…by any spelling, this traditional Ayurvedic cleansing food is a simple, delicious cleansing food—it is the epitome of food is medicine. Kitchari is a simple, cleansing food.
Let’s face it, we’re reading about wellness and health topics because we’re stressed and we want (and need) to be healthier. Yet, we’re bombarded with confusing information and that alone is stressful. Modern diet trends, one-size -fits-all approaches--let’s ditch the stress, and learn how to invigorate Kapha dosha.
What Is Kitchari exactly? It’s split, washed (meaning the green husk is removed) mung dal (little beans) and aromatic white basmati rice and spices (aka digestive supporting herbs that taste yummy.) Kitchari is plant based and gluten free.
Why use white basmati rice?
Simple--because it is the easiest to digest. When we're cleansing, foods need to be as easy to digest as possible to give the digestive system a rest, to break down the food well, and so the body can use the energy it saves to rejuvenate and repair.
There are alternatives used depending on individual needs such as brown rice, oats, quinoa, barley, etc., but white basmati is the grain typically used.
Wondering if you have a Kapha imbalance? Check out our Sturdy List of Kapha Imbalances
Why use washed, split mung (moong) dal (dahl)?
Split washed mung is used because it to is easy to digest. Using the inner part of the mung bean, it has dry and astringent qualities which add to the cleansing effect. The astringent quality draws out toxins (ama) from the digestive tract lining. The fiber of mung dal and basmati rice aid in the removal of toxins out of the body.
Typically split, washed (hulled) mung bean is used to help strip pesticides out of the system, which is especially supportive for the reproductive organs, liver, and the thyroid.
White basmati rice combined with mung dal have all the amino acids to create a complete protein. That's a nutritionally powerful combination and it provides ample energy. Cleansing with kitchari is nourishing, rejuvenating--not depleting.
What is the role of spices in kitchari?
Spices make food taste delicious, and they are digestive herbs that boost your digestion. Which spices are supportive for individual digestion varies. Under the ingredient list below are spices that support Kapha digestion.
What's the role of ghee in kitchari?
Ghee balances the digestive fire without aggravating Kapha, so it's perfect for Kapha Reducing Kitchari. Sunflower oil is another good options for Kapha digestion.
Psst--Vegetables can be added to kitchari for flavor and fiber.
Related Reading: Guide to Kapha
What Are The Benefits of Kitchari?
Kitchari provides many benefits, and it is a key Ayurveda food as medicine tool. It is healing to the digestive system, it's cleansing, and it's balancing to all three doshas- Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
How Is Kitchari Cleansing?
"Think of kitchari as a mouth-watering, porridge like thick soup, that double as a healthy, cleansing comfort food. It doesn't get better than that! "
-Veena, Saumya Ayurveda
This article is focused on Kapha Reducing Kitchari. For our Vata grounding recipe, click here, and Pitta cooling kitchari, here you go.
When you eat Kapha Kitchari, you’ll want to enjoy it nice and hot to strengthen your digestive fire and boost metabolism.
Many people struggle with weight gain. Eating Kapha Reducing Kitchari is one of the best ways to reduce weight, gently cleanse the body and help you feel great. This kitchari is invigorating and heating and an effective way to reduce overall Kapha as we head towards Kapha season of chest and head colds.
Spices are Digestive Herbs
Digestive herbs support balanced digestive fire, help assimilate and absorb nutrients and support healthy elimination. Make sure your spices are fresh. For dried herbs and spices, the shelf life is about a year, although the exact length depends on the quality of the spice (how fresh was it at the time of purchase) and how the spice has been stored.
Rancid, depleted spices should be replaced. Spices are digestive herbs that helps us digest, assimilate and eliminate foods properly which, according to Ayurveda, is fundamental to good health
Ingredients:
½ cup white basmati rice or quinoa or a mix of the two
1 cup split, washed moong dal
4 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
¼ teaspoon clove powder
½ teaspoon of Hawaiian Red Alaea Sea Salt (mineral rich)
½ teaspoon mustard seed
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1-2 tablespoons ghee
1+ inch fresh ginger root
6 cups water
Instructions:
Wash rice and split washed yellow mung dal.
Soak for about three hours. Drain and rinse the dal and rice well.
If you have an Instapot use the pressure cooking setting.
If you have a pressure cooker, use that.
Otherwise, in a pot, warm ghee over heat until it melts.
Add the spices and coat them with the ghee, sauté for about a minute. (If you have seaweed, now is the time to add it.)
Next, add rice and mung and sauté for a few minutes ensuring they are coated with the ghee and spices.
If you’re using vegetables, add them now and sauté for a minute.
Now add 6 cups of water and bring it all to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover and cook until everything is (really) tender and brothy, porridge like consistency. (approx. 30–45 minutes).
Add more water to prevent scorching, if needed.
Add salt to taste.
Achieve weight loss by consuming Kapha Reducing Kitchari. This meal offers a beneficial method for weight reduction and detoxification. The delightful spices not only enhance the taste of your meal but also serve as digestive herbs that promote good digestion, absorption, and elimination.
Ayurvedic Recipe | Lose Weight While You Eat Kapha Reducing Kitchari is easy to make and is an effective, gentle cleanse.
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Meet Kapha. He's one of our newest pack members at Saumya Ayurveda. He embodies all the Kapha dosha qualities. He loves to consume as much of everything as he can--food, affection--he wants it.
Kapha lives up to his name in other ways too. He is calm, loving, and considerate. He knows how to enjoy life and make himself comfortable. Kapha is loyal, steady, patient and supportive. He takes good care of his brother, Vata (background) and is so sweet.