Deva’s Recipes
Ayurvedic Kitcheree
aka Mung Beans and Rice
Preparation time: ½ hour prep, 1.5 hours cook
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup basmati rice, washed
1/2 cup mung beans
5 cups filtered water or more if you want it soupy
1 stalks celery
1 carrot
1/2 bunch kale, broccoli, chard or other greens(optional)
Spice choices: 1/2 tsp. of each; cinnamon (V-), cumin powder, cumin seeds, coriander (P-), fennel seeds (V-), turmeric (KPV-), black or chili pepper or chili flakes (P+K-), basil, oregano
1 large onion
1 inch ginger grated(KV-)
1 clove garlic chopped finely (P+K-)
1 pinch of hing (Asofoetida) to prevent gas
1tsp. salt
1 stick of Kombu or other sea vegetable
Garnishes: 1 Tbsp Olive oil or ghee*, ¼ cup cilantro
Procedure
Look for little stones in mung beans. Rinse mung beans well. Add mung beans to water and cook for ½ hour. Then add the rest of the ingredients and continue to simmer for one hour stirring often. Cook until the mung beans have opened up. You can soak the mung beans overnight to make them even easier to digest. Garnish and serve warm.
Kitcheree is a complete protein; all essential amino acids are contained in this meal. The oil or ghee is added after cooking because cooked oils cause free radical damage, which can lead to premature aging. Buy unrefined oils as most commercially refined oils are rancid and a source of immune-inhibiting free radicals.
One of Yogi Bhajan’s recipes for mung beans and rice is to boil 2 tablespoons cumin seeds and oregano seeds in 6 cups of water for one hour. Then use this tea to make the kitcheree.
Trinity roots in Ayurveda are garlic, ginger and onions. Garlic is antiviral. Ginger aids digestion and nourishes the nerves. Onions purifies the blood, attacks bacteria and balances blood sugar.
Mung beans are tridoshic. All other beans are more
Vata: no other beans except perhaps a little split yellow mung dahl, red and yellow split peas and urad dahl cooked very well to a soft consistency.
Pitta: black lentils, chickpeas, split peas, soybeans, urad. Small amounts of aduki, kidney, navy, fava, pinto beans. Avoid Red and yellow lentils. Food with red or orange color imparts more heat.
Kapha: Legumes: mung beans, red lentils, soybeans, split peas. Small amounts of: aduki beans, black beans, black grams, fava beans, kidney beans, lima beans, pinto beans. Avoid black lentils, chickpeas.
P- means decreasing Pitta.
V- means decreasing Vata which is what you do want to do if you have a Vata imbalance.
P+ means increasing Pitta which you don’t want to do it you have a Pitta Imbalance
K- means decreasing Kapha
Green Goddess Dressing
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic
Juice of two lemons
1 cup cilantro (unchopped)
1 cup parsley (unchopped)
2 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu
1/2 tsp umeboshi plum vinegar
1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/2 cup water
Procedure
Blend all ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds. Chill & serve. Yields 1 cup. Keeps in refrigerator for 5-6 days.
Juices & Beverages
Fresh fruit & vegetable juices are an excellent way to get concentrated vitamins and minerals. Drink 12-16 oz daily to start your day instead of caffeinated beverages.
Some recommended juices and combinations are
cucumber, celery, carrot, parsley
beet, carrot, celery
watermelon, lemon, ginger
pineapple, cucumber
pineapple, beet, apple
cucumber, apple, daikon
cucumber, lime, cilantro, ginger
celery, cucumber, green apple, parsley, kale, ginger
wheatgrass juice and fresh young coconut milk
Wheatgrass on it’s own or mixed with fresh lemon juice, apple juice or fresh coconut juice. Wheatgrass detoxifies the liver. Celery juice is an excellent internal cleanser. The absorbability of celery juice is high and the sugar is low due to high sodium. Celery is good for strengthening the nervous system and calming nerves. Celery decreases Kapha and Pitta and increases Vata. Beets cleanse the liver and intestines as well as regulate the body’s sugar balance. Parsley is a blood builder, a kidney cleanser and its juice eliminates poisons from the body. Spinach has more protein ounce for ounce than meat. Celery detoxes heavy metals. Watermelon detoxifies the kidneys. Apples have a soothing effect on the gastrointestinal system Daikon radish cleanses the liver. Kale is filled with Vitamins A and C, Calcium, Iron and Chlorophyll. It helps the body build strong teeth and is beneficial to the digestive and nervous systems. Cucumbers are calming, cooling and hydrating, good for the skin. They decrease Pitta and Vata and increase Kapha. Cabbage, parsley and watercress decrease Kapha and Pitta and increase Vata.
Carrot juice is full of B vitamins and beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A which helps the mucous membranes of your respiratory tract defend your lungs against bacterial and viral invasion. It also maintains an optimal detoxifying potential throughout the body. Carrots contain a broad mix of carotenoids, which help prevent cataracts, macular degeneration and night blindness. Orange vegetables all contain vitamin A, and the more vitamin A you have in your body, the more rhodopsin you produce. Rhodopsin is a purple pigment that the eye needs in order to see in the dim light. Carrots contain additional antioxidants, including alpha-carotene, which fights cancer and heart disease. If your new devotion to carrots turns your skin a faint shade or orange, don’t worry-it’s a harmless and transient condition. Simply stop eating carrots for a few days and then begin enjoying them again in moderation.
1Carrots increase pitta, decrease vatta and kapha.
Yogi Bhajan’s Golden Milk
Turmeric is a root that is ground into a bright yellow powder and is one of the main ingredients in curry. It is know as an anti-inflammatory and a lubricant for the joints. It is also excellent for the skin and mucous membranes, especially the female reproductive organs
2Mix 1 Tbsp of turmeric powder in 1 cup of pure water and boil in a saucepan until a thick paste is formed about 5 minutes, add more water as needed. You may store this paste for up to 30 days. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
After the paste is made, mix together in a saucepan 1 cup of Soy or Dairy Milk, 1 tsp of edible almond oil, 1/4 tsp of turmeric paste and honey to taste. While stirring on low heat, bring the milk just to the boiling point. The mixture may be then blended in an electric blender to make a beautiful foamy drink or just drink as is. This drink is especially beneficial for stiff joints ‘breaking up calcium deposits that cause stiffness
, and is a source of lubrication for the system.
Golden Milk can be made raw and uncooked also by adding turmeric to your smoothie or nut milk and blending and not cooking it or add the cooked paste to the nut milk and blending.
Nut Milk
1/2 cup almonds, walnuts, or cashews
1 quart of filtered water
Dash of kelp or Celtic sea salt
1/8 cup raisins, 2 dates or 1 Tbsp raw unpasteurized honey
Soak nuts and dried fruit overnight. Drain and throw away soak water. Blend with water and kelp or salt. Use as is or strain. Optional: remove almond skins after soaking, especially for sensitive digestive systems. Then drink as is, use in smoothies, or add to cold yogi tea or a cold version of golden milk. Fresh nut milks tend to separate when heated.
Liver Flush
To cleanse and support the liver and gall bladder
The Liver flush is a love-hate relationship, some love it and some hate it. Check it out and see how you feel. For the first time don’t try it as you are running out to work just in case you get nauseous which can be a symptom from liver detoxing. Drink daily over an extended time period to experience its effects. ‘Garlic is an antibacterial, Parsley detoxes the kidneys, Oranges have a high content of beta-carotene.
41/4 cup purified or spring water to facilitate the blending process
1/4 tsp whole cloves
1 pinch of cayenne pepper or a small piece of a fresh jalapeno
3 sprigs of parsley
1 clove of garlic
2 oranges or tangerines, peeled, (cut off the peel and leave the white stuff on and chop into pieces)
1/2 grapefruit, peeled (cut off the peel and leave the white stuff on and chop into pieces)
1/2 lemon, peeled (remove the peel and leave the white stuff on and chop into pieces)
1–2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled
2 Tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive, flax or hemp oil
Drink first thing in the morning. Start adding the ingredients listed above one at a time while blending. Add olive oil last. Blend, approximately 1–2 minutes, until smooth. More water may be added if it is too thick. If you have a known sensitivity to oranges use 2 grapefruits instead. Personally I prefer it unstrained and then it is like a smoothie.