Cabbage Kitchari

Last week we took a look at cabbage as a great winter vegetable and offered a recipe for Cabbage and Chickpea soup. Here's what we did with the other half of the cabbage--a variant of our Cleansing Kitchari recipe! It was easy to make and quite delicious.

Serves 4 as a one-pot dish or 6-8 with sabji

 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup split yellow mung dal (available from Indian and Asian markets)

  • 1 cup basmati rice

  • 1/4 cabbage, shredded

  • 1 tomato, chopped

  • 1 tbsp ghee, or sunflower oil for vegans (Learn how to make ghee)

  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger

  • 1 tsp turmeric or 2" fresh turmeric

  • 1 tsp each of powdered fennel, cumin and coriander

  • 6 cups water

  • 1-2 tsp garam masala

Method

  

  1. Wash mung dal and rice thoroughly.

  2. Heat the ghee or oil, add the spices and cook for a minute, taking care not to burn the spices.

  3. Add rice, dal and water and cabbage; then bring to boil. Turn down to simmer for 45 minutes or until mung dal is very soft in pot on stove.

  4. After cooking, add salt to taste. If you live at altitude, cook the mung beans for 45 minutes while soaking the rice, then add the rice and cook for 45 minutes more; or make the kitchari in a pressure cooker.

  5. Serve as a one-pot meal with some ghee, yoghurt and pickle or with a sabji such as eggplant sabji with bitter melon, or Turnip Sabji.

Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.

Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!