The healthy bowl of comfort food - discover why the Ayurvedic staple kitchari is known for its healing properties. 

If there is one dish that is praised in Ayurveda, it is kitchari. This dish is easily digestible and contains an array of health-boosting spices. After a tiring day, I love to sit on the sofa, spooning in mouthfuls of warm with a bowl of kithcari, for me it’s the ultimate comfort food. There are lots of different variations on this dish (with or without rice), but this version strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and spice.  

Cooking time: 45 

Serves: 4 

 

Ingredients:  

• 2 onions, finely chopped 

• 4 cloves of garlic 

• 8 tbsp ghee 

• 1 tbsp of fresh ginger, grated 

• 2 tbsp of curry powder 

• 1 tbsp of ground cumin 

• 1,2 litres vegetable stock 

• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped 

• 600 g split yellow mung dal 

• 1 tbsp chilli flakes  

• 4 tbsp coconut yoghurt (or use regular Greek yoghurt) 

• 1 lime, in wedges 

• Fresh mint leaves 

Steps:  

1. Cook the onion and garlic in half of the ghee until soft, then add curry powder, ginger, and cumin and sauté until aromatic. 
2. Pour in vegetable stock, the tomatoes and the soaked yellow mung dal, and bring to a boil. 
3. Let it simmer for 35-45 minutes, adding more stock or water if it starts to dry out. 
4. Meanwhile, make the chilli ghee by melting the rest of the ghee in a saucepan and stirring in the chilli flakes.  
5. Test if the split peas are tender and if so, serve the kitchari in a bowl with the chilli ghee, the coconut yoghurt, a squeeze of lime and some mint leaves.