An Ayurvedic detox is very different from your average juice cleanse or restricted raw food diet that is marketed so heavily in the U.S.. In Ayurveda, a change of the cold season into spring is the perfect time to do a focused diet of grains, split mung dal and spices (a.k.a. kitchari) to reset your digestive system. This simplified diet should be partnered with drinking plenty of water, taking triphala supplements in the evening to help regulate elimination, and should only last 3-10 days.
During this cleanse your food intake is not restricted, and you can eat as much kitchari as you need throughout the day, but it is the only thing you will eat.
There are a few different base recipes with the possibility of different spices added depending on your dosha. Visit this site to take the dosha quiz and learn about dosha-specific spring recipes.
Here is a base recipe you can use found on www.ayurveda.com:
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup mung dal (split yellow)
- 6 cups (approx.) water
- 1/2 to 1 inch ginger root, chopped or grated
- A bit of mineral salt (1/4 tsp. or so)
- 2 tsp. ghee
- 1/2 tsp. coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)**
- Handful of fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 and 1/2 cups assorted vegetables (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Carefully pick over rice and dal to remove any stones. Wash each separately in at least 2 changes of water. Add the 6 cups of water to the rice and dal and cook covered until it becomes soft, about 20 minutes.
While that is cooking, prepare any vegetables that suit your constitution. Cut them into smallish pieces. Add the vegetables to the cooked rice and dal mixture and cook 10 minutes longer.
In a separate saucepan, sauté the seeds in the ghee until they pop. Then add the other spices. Stir together to release the flavors. Stir the sautéed spices into the cooked dal, rice, and vegetable mixture. Add the mineral salt and chopped fresh cilantro and serve.
**Can’t find all the spice ingredients at your local market? You can now find Banyan Botanical’s Kitchari Spice Mix (https://meadowsweetllc.createsend1.com/t/y-l-omurhd-l-j/) at Meadowsweet!
