How to Make Mung Dal, Coconut & Cilantro Kitchari (Pitta Reducing)

SERVINGS: 4

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 60 MINUTES

SKILL LEVEL: EASY

MEAL: LUNCH-DINNER

STYLE: INDIAN

PREPARATION: BOILED

EAT IN: SPRING, SUMMER

FOR OCCASION: ON-THE-MEND, CLEANSE

How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

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Just like a comforting bowl of grandma's chicken soup, kitchari will leave you feeling nourished and content. This Pitta Pacifying Kitchari contains Ayurveda's top foods to reduce inflammation. It cools and soothes internally so you'll feel refreshed and at ease after eating. Although tridoshic, this kitchari is especially suitable for Pitta types that are prone to feeling overheated, irritable or stressed out. The cilantro and coconut are cooling foods that remedy a Pitta.

A combination of mild and subtle flavors, this meal helps calm a fiery digestive tract. Hearty yet light, it satisfies your hunger but is still easy to digest. Kitchari is a staple in the Ayurvedic diet and is considered the signature cleansing meal. It can, however, be enjoyed at any time to give your stomach a well deserved break from eating complicated foods or eating on the run.

Kitchari is the perfect meal to call on when you are feeling under the weather, recovering from an illness, when you just want to reset or when you want to do an Ayurvedic cleanse.

About Pitta Dosha and Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's defence mechanism to help clear and remove irritants or pathogens. While it serves an important function, chronic inflammation can be detrimental to the digestive tract. Pitta dosha is responsible for all heat in the body, therefore inflammation is a Pitta imbalance.

Tissues become red, hot and swollen and over time, and the delicate lining of the digestive tract can become damaged. Eventually, this can progress to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or leaky gut. A stressful lifestyle and diet of highly processed foods, sugar, alcohol and coffee are all contributing factors to chronic inflammation.

Foods that Reduce Inflammation

The two main ingredients of this soft, savory meal are mung beans and basmati rice which are both cooling food that are nourishing, easy to digest and also key foods to reduce inflammation. Mung beans have a natural antacid effect, helping balance acidity in the stomach and soothe internal heat.

Their astringent taste is cooling and also tones and tightens bodily tissues. This means they can be useful to alleviate "hot" digestive symptoms like diarrhea, acid reflux, halt bleeding and help seal perforated tissues. Emotionally, astringent taste can help you cool off and collect your thoughts.

Cool Down with Anti-Inflammatory Herbs

Pungent spices, like dry ginger or black pepper, will aggravate those with ulcers or inflammation. Instead, this recipe blends anti-inflammatory digestives which maintain digestive strength (agni) without overheating you.

Turmeric reduces inflammation and boosts agni by increasing blood flow to digestive organs. Cilantro and lime are both cooling digestives and are often used to mellow a spicy dish and add a freshness to the meal.

Cleanse & Refresh with a Kitchari Mono Diet

Do a Kitchari Cleanse in order to give the digestive tract a holistic cleanse. A time tested recipe, its rich fiber content is cleansing to the GI tract and helps to bulk up stool for easier elimination. Digestive spices detoxify by clearing metabolic wastes (ama) in the gut that can cause irritation and inflammation.

Your digestive tract is constantly challenged on a daily basis - morning cups of coffee, complicated meals like pizzas or burritos and greasy, fried foods. Even foods that are normally deemed "healthy" such as raw salads and chilled green smoothie can all take a toll on digestive strength. Favor these nourishing foods to reduce inflammation to restore your energy and vitality.
Check out more of our Pitta Dosha recipes!

WHAT IS MUNG DAL, COCONUT & CILANTRO KITCHARI (PITTA REDUCING)?

Ayurvedic kitchari's are India's chicken soup and the congee equivalent of Chinese medicine. This kitchari includes cilantro and coconut and is adapted from Dr. Lad's book Ayurvedic Cooking for Self Healing.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

INCREASES Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas) Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic. Learn More	LIQUEFIED ABOUT LIQUEFIED BIOCHARACTERISTIC Substances that thin fluids (lower viscosity of blood plasma). These may include blood thinners or mucolytic herbs. LEARN MORE ABOUT LIQUEFIED COLD ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow. LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD EASY ABOUT EASY BIOCHARACTERISTIC Easy refers to anything easy to digest, or digests quickly. LEARN MORE ABOUT EASY CLEAR ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama. LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR MOBILE ABOUT MOBILE BIOCHARACTERISTIC Mobile refers to anything that stimulates the nervous system, muscles, or activity. LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE
TASTES The 6 Tastes Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below? Learn More	ASTRINGENT ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying. LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT
DOSHAS The Three Doshas / Body Types According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history. The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded. Learn More	PACIFIES AGGRAVATES
HAS THE FOLLOWING	Subtaste: Crunchy STRONG CRUNCHY Makes an audible noise when you eat them. Can provide fun texture variation. SEE ALL 'CRUNCHY' FOODS / HERBS , Aromatic AROMATIC Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues. SEE ALL 'AROMATIC' FOODS / HERBS , Bland BLAND Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy. SEE ALL 'BLAND' FOODS / HERBS
HERBAL ACTIONS (see all)	Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Mung Dal, Coconut & Cilantro Kitchari (Pitta Reducing) Experiences are Personal Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition. Digestion: Quenches Thirst QUENCHES-THIRST An herb or substance that relieves thirst. SEE ALL 'QUENCHES-THIRST' FOODS / HERBS , Carminative CARMINATIVE Stimulates the release of gas. Helpful for bloating or cramping abdominal pain. Propels food downward. Carminatives typically expel gas by relaxing the muscles of the intestines. SEE ALL 'CARMINATIVE' FOODS / HERBS , Digestive DIGESTIVE Herbs that encourage healthy digestion. SEE ALL 'DIGESTIVE' FOODS / HERBS , Antacid ANTACID Herbs that neutralize acidity in the gastrointestinal tract, the stomach in particular. SEE ALL 'ANTACID' FOODS / HERBS Bowel Health: Relieves Burning RELIEVES-BURNING Herbs that soothe a burn or reduce an internal burning sensation, such as aloe vera. SEE ALL 'RELIEVES-BURNING' FOODS / HERBS Cleanse & Detox: Internal Detoxicant INTERNAL-DETOXICANT Liquefies, dissolves, decongests or dislodges internal stagnant toxins. Decongests the lymphatic system. SEE ALL 'INTERNAL-DETOXICANT' FOODS / HERBS , Burns Toxins BURNS-TOXINS An herb that detoxifies by helping your body metabolize toxins, as opposed to eliminating them. SEE ALL 'BURNS-TOXINS' FOODS / HERBS Energy Vitality: Stimulates Energy STIMULATES-ENERGY This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs. SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS , Satisfies Stomach SATISFIES-STOMACH Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach. SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS , Refreshing REFRESHING Stimulates and wakes up the body, leaving it feeling cool, fresh, and energized. SEE ALL 'REFRESHING' FOODS / HERBS , Nutritive NUTRITIVE An herb that is strengthening and nourishing. SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS Respiratory-Health: Flushes Sinuses FLUSHES-SINUSES An herb that relieves sinus congestion by flushing out mucus. SEE ALL 'FLUSHES-SINUSES' FOODS / HERBS , Warms Chest WARMS-CHEST Warms the chest and lungs, clearing mucus and allowing for clear breathing. Often these herbs are hot, aromatic, and pungent. SEE ALL 'WARMS-CHEST' FOODS / HERBS Immune System: Anti Inflammatory ANTI-INFLAMMATORY Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems. SEE ALL 'ANTI-INFLAMMATORY' FOODS / HERBS Heart & Circulation: Cardiac Stimulant CARDIAC-STIMULANT Herbs that increase the heart rate. Useful in cardiovascular health, blood stagnation, and subjective feeling of heaviness in the chest area. SEE ALL 'CARDIAC-STIMULANT' FOODS / HERBS , Vasodilator VASODILATOR A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area. SEE ALL 'VASODILATOR' FOODS / HERBS , Blood Tonic BLOOD-TONIC An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency. SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS , Alterative ALTERATIVE Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter. SEE ALL 'ALTERATIVE' FOODS / HERBS , Refrigerant REFRIGERANT An herb or substance that strongly cools the body. Can be helpful in cases of heat conditions. SEE ALL 'REFRIGERANT' FOODS / HERBS Kidney & Urinary: Diuretic DIURETIC Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure. SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS Liver & Gallbladder: Cholagogue CHOLAGOGUE Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines. SEE ALL 'CHOLAGOGUE' FOODS / HERBS Weight Loss: Hypolipidemic HYPOLIPIDEMIC Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells. SEE ALL 'HYPOLIPIDEMIC' FOODS / HERBS Bone & Joint: Antiarthritic ANTIARTHRITIC Herbs that ease arthritic pain and promote joint health. SEE ALL 'ANTIARTHRITIC' FOODS / HERBS Constituents: Nitric Oxide NITRIC-OXIDE Improves circulation by dilating blood vessels. Protects blood vessels from damage. Improves athletic performance, libido, immunity, and brain health. SEE ALL 'NITRIC-OXIDE' FOODS / HERBS , Soluble Fiber, Coumarin COUMARIN Moderately toxic, vascular tonic, hypotensive, and anti-inflammatory. SEE ALL 'COUMARIN' FOODS / HERBS , Aromatase Inhibitor AROMATASE-INHIBITOR Blocks estrogen synthesis by inhibiting conversion of progesterone and testosterone into estrogen. SEE ALL 'AROMATASE-INHIBITOR' FOODS / HERBS , Fats, Flavonoids FLAVONOIDS Flavonoids are a colorful type of polyphenol. As all polyphenols, they have a strong antioxidant effect. Many flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory, and/or antiallergen effect. SEE ALL 'FLAVONOIDS' FOODS / HERBS , 5a Reductase Inhibitor, Tannins, Carbohydrate

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Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.