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Simple Spring Kitchari

The transition from winter to summer calls for a lightening up. Mother Nature is providing us with the limited produce of spring, inviting us to eat less and eat light, all in the name of shedding the weight of winter. In the world of Ayurveda, we take advantage of this time of year to simplify our diet for a few days.

Enter: Kitchari

I think of kitchari as India’s comfort food; it’s not unlike our chicken soup. Light, easy to digest, and comforting to the belly as well as the soul, Kitchari is a simple, one-pot meal of love and healing. A combination of life-sustaining protein and carbohydrates, simple kitchari provides the amino acid balance needed with nothing more than beans and grains. It’s easy to digest, easy to cook, and even easier to clean up!

Enter: Cleansing
The Ayurvedic 10-Day Community Cleanse is divided into three parts:

  1. Phase I / Preparation
  2. Phase II / Cleansing
  3. Phase III – Rebuilding.

It is during the 5 days of Phase II that we lean into a mono-diet of kitchari; that means breakfast, lunch and dinner. From a physical perspective, eating this simple mono-diet gives the GI tract a well-deserved break following the heavy, dense and sweet meals of winter that are still weighing us down. From a mental, emotional, and spiritual perspective, this window of simplicity allows for attention to ritual and reflection. With less stress over meals and meal prepping, you can now devote a few additional minutes each day to meditation, movement, or refining any number of self-care practices and routines that may have flown out the window during the holidays.

Personally, I enjoy kitchari so much and eat it periodically throughout the year. Kitchari is a one-pot meal, which lends itself well to batch-cooking and light clean up. If you’re pressed for time, try this pressure-cooker-kitchari. Traditionally, kitchari is a soupy consistency, kind of like porridge. The soupier it is, the easier it will be on your digestive system. Eat it straight or add a variety of seasonal veggies that suit your constitution!

Are you eating ktichari? Tell me what you think!