M. has been craving Kitchari,  a traditional Ayurvedic healing bean and rice porridge. There are many variations, some more complex than others.  The general idea is to simmer the heck out of the beans and rice in order to predigest the food.  It’s given to the very ill to provide nourishment with less wear and tear on the digestive system.   Stick to plain rice and bean versions if you’re unwell.  You may consider blending the final stew to assist your digestion further.  Adding veggies is optimal, since it provides more nutrients.  Spices/herbs should be added carefully, with full consideration for what you can tolerate.

I use the kitchari recipe from Food as Medicine by Dharma Singh Khalsa.  He’s got a basic bean/rice one and a slightly more complicated one with veg and healing spices.  I’ve only made the savory vegetable one, which is what M wants.  I sprout my beans before I cook them, to make them more digestible and to make the nutrients more bio-available.  If you go that route, don’t sprout the beans into full on stir-fry style bean sprouts.  Once the tails start to poke out, they’re done.

Mung Beans & Rice (from Food as Medicine)

• 1 cup mung beans (or 1 cup of mung beans after sprouting)
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 inch piece of kombu seaweed (optional, adds minerals and makes beans more digestible)
• 9 cups of water
• 4-6 cups of assorted vegetables (carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• .5 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup ginger root, minced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 heaping teaspoon turmeric
• 1 heaping teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chilies (more or less to taste)
• t tablespoon sweet basil
• seeds of 5 cardamom pods
• sea salt or Braggs Liquid Aminos to taste.

Soak beans overnight.  Wash beans and rinse rice at least 3 times. Bring water to boil.  Add bay leaves and kombu seaweed let boil over medium-high heat.  When the beans have boiled and are soft, about 40-50 minutes, add rice, lower heat to simmer, and let cook for another 20 minutes.

Clean and cut vegetables.  Add vegetables to simmering rice and beans and continue to cook for approximately 15 more minutes.  In the meantime, heat oil in large frying pan.  Add onions, ginger, and garlic.  Saute over medium high heat until brown.  Add turmeric, pepper, garam masala, and red chilies. Add this mixture to the pot with the beans and rice.  You will need to stir often now to prevent scorching.  Add sweet basil, cardamom seeds, and sea salt.  Continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often.  You may have to add extra boiling water until the rice and vegetables are completely cooked.  The consistency should be rich, thick, and soup-like — with ingredients barely discernible.

Simpler Mung Beans & Rice (from Food as Medicine)

• .5 cup mung beans
• .5 cup white basmati rice
• 1 inch piece of kombu seaweed (optional)
• 9 cups water
• Sea salt or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos to taste

Soak beans overnight. Wash beans and rice. Bring water to a boil, add beans and kombu seaweed, and let boil over medium high heat for 40-50 minutes until soft.  Add rice and let simmer for another 20-25 minutes until done. Add sea salt to taste.  You can also add 1 tsp of ghee or olive oil per person before serving.

Caveat: I haven’t tried this recipe as written.  I’m a bit suspicious about the bean/rice to water ratio.  It looks to me like it will end up too watery.  Leave me a comment if you try it and let me know how it goes.

Zucchini & Asparagus Kitchari (VegNews, Mar/Apr 2009)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cups yellow split mung beans
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 8 cups water divided
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups zucchini, diced
• 1 cup asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces

In a large pot, heat oil and saute cumin, coriander, fennel, and turmeric for 1 minute.  Add mung beans and salt, saute for another 2 minutes.  Add 7 cups of water and bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes.

Add rice, zucchini, and asparagus.  Add remaining 1 cup of water, stir, bring back to a boil, and then simmer for another 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked.

Caveat: I haven’t made this one either but I’ve been meaning to try it. I’ve have the torn magazine page as a bookmark in Food as Medicine for over two years now.