AYURVEDIC INDIAN FEAST
I am so happy to be able to share this special cache of recipes with you all!
Weekend before last I helped cater a lunch with the angels of Taking Care Portland at Portland's 2015 Ayurvedic Fair. What an incredible collection of knowledgable practitioners, speakers, visionary artists, and artisanal food (and GHEE!) makers. Good lord, the aromatherapy alone.. SO. GOOD.
I was, however, the majority of the time working behind the scenes under the direction of an amazing native of India named Minal Rajan. A breast cancer survivor herself of two years, her kindness and was only matched by her staggering knowledge of Ayurvedic spices and traditional Indian food preparation. (SCORE..).
She has generously handed over all the recipes we served at the event (that, by the way, sold out in a little over an hour..!) All of the lunch proceeds will go towards Taking Care Portland's incredible community cancer survivorship events. Click here if you want more info about their free services or would like to volunteer in a future TCP event. Kitchari means mixture, and is best described as a healing stew that combines protein and carbohydrates into a gentle, nutritionally balanced and deeply cleansing meal. It was chosen for this event as it is a staple of many Ayurvedic cleansing diets and, especially with all the amazing condiments Minal showed me, is simple to prepare and REALLY delicious.
Win-win, right? Well, there's a few more bonuses you should be aware of before I set you off on your own: This amazingly tasty dish is also said to heal digestive distresses (THE cornerstone of Ayurvedic philosophy surrounds balancing the digestive system), balance the metabolism, cleanse the liver and the blood, assist in healthy weight loss, and support the body's tissues in detoxing accumulated toxins. YUM!
You may consider taking a field-trip to your local Indian grocery store. In Portland the one I went to is called Apna Bazar. They have great prices on bulk and specialty spices, the specific kind of mung dal and rice needed for the kitchari, and otherwise tricky to locate items all under one roof. It's also kind of like a mini global travel experience..so I can highly recommend!
Kitchari:
1 c rice (use small grain rice (Zeera/Ambemohar rice from Indian store -- long grain basmati is for special occasions and too pricey)
1 c Yellow Moong Dal2 c diced vegetables. (e.g., carrots, fresh or frozen green peas, etc.)
1in. piece ginger, chopped fine
2-3 cloves of garlic
10-12 black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin, dry roast till fragrant and crush with a pestle
oil/ghee for cooking turmeric & salt, to taste
slit green chillies (optional)
Wash rice and dal well and keep aside. Put oil / ghee in a pan, and once hot, gently fry the ginger, then garlic, and then the vegetables (about 3 mins).
Add the crushed pepper & cumin spice mix. Mix in the rice and dal.
Add 3⁄4 tsp or more of turmeric powder and salt to taste. You can also add slit green chillies if you like a bit of a kick to it.
Add about 6 cups of water and bring it to boil. Once boiling, lower the flame and cover the pot until the dal is soft and most of the water is absorbed.
It should usually be served runny like a porridge/oatmeal so you can add more hot water if it's getting dry and dal is not cooked.
Serve with a dollop of ghee on top.
Tomato Chutney:
The usual accompaniments with kitchari are green chutney or Raita, a little red chilly powder if you like, chopped cucumber or mint leaves, or mango pickle.
10 large roma tomatoes
1 1⁄2 “ slice of ginger
12-14 garlic cloves
Oil for cooking (i.e., mustard oil)
1⁄2 tsp each of fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cumin, fennel seeds, and nigella seeds.Pinch of salt, sugar, turmeric, and chili powder
Chop tomatoes. In a pan heat oil -- I typically use Mustard oil for this -- and add seed and spice blend. Split dry chilly.
Once they splutter, add the ginger and garlic and fry until a little brown and fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir to mix. Add salt, sugar, turmeric and chilli powder.
Cover and stew for a good 20-30 minutes -- you should have a nice sticky sauce that coats the back of the spoon.
Peanut Chutney Dressing or Marinade:
2 bunches of cilantro leaves 1-2 green chillies
1 tsp cumin
A handful of peanuts
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
1⁄2 c water
2-3 tbsp lime or lemon juice
Two bunches of cilantro leaves. Wash cilantro and pick any brown leaves, but keep the stems--remove only the very bottom part that looks white and fibrous.
Put all ingredients in the blender add a little water (~1⁄2 c) and blend. Add water little by little to facilitate smooth sauce -- too much water will not blend the leaves and you will get a gritty texture and floating leaves.
Remove from blender and adjust seasoning -- salt and sugar. Squeeze 2-3 tbsp of lime or lemon juice. It should have a a nice tangy freshness and salt- sugar-green chilly balance.
Refrigerate for a while to let the flavors settle.
Coconut Cilantro Chutney:
This chutney is a beautiful compliment to a stack of savory pancakes. Traditionally this chutney is served with fermented rice pancakes called Dosa and a national treasure in India. It’s so simple to make and makes such a delicious condiment for the kitchari or any other bowls, rice dishes or even over roasted vegetables.
Whole brown coconut OR grated coconut (fresh and not desiccated) A handful of cashew nuts
Half a handful of raisins (sweet variety)
1 green chilly
A few curry leaves (at Trader Joe's and in Indian stores) A few cilantro leaves (optional)
Oil for heating
1⁄2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp moong dal
Break open coconut and take the white flesh out using a scraper or knife OR buy grated coconut (fresh and not desiccated) and then blend them in a blender.
Add other ingredients and water and start blending to a smooth paste. Add salt, to taste. Season it on the top by heating a tsp of oil in a small pan and splutter the mustard seeds, moong dal, and a few curry leaves. Pour this onto the coconut chutney.
Keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
