What’s So Amazing about Khichadi?-1
Above all other Indian meals, there is one which is considered to help facilitate spiritual growth.
It is the Ayurvedic detox food—but it can also be found on many dinner tables on a normal day, as it is loved for other reasons, as well.
Khichadi, pronounced kich-ah-ree and sometimes spelled “kitchari” or “khichdi,” has long been used to nourish babies and the elderly, the sick and the healthy during special times of detox, cleansing and deep spiritual practice.
A simple, porridge-like blend of beans and rice, khichadi is often referred to as the Indian “comfort food.” But perhaps contrary to the western idea of comfort food or even health food, khichadi has many nourishing and cleansing benefits.
Join me as I investigate the subtle magic of khichadi, its profound benefits, and a simple recipe to enjoy.
The term khichadi is used to describe any dish made with a mixture of rice and beans. For the traditional, cleansing khichadi, split yellow mung beans were used along with a long grain white or basmati rice, and a blend of traditional Indian spices. Let’s take a look at the constituents of khichadi on their own before we talk about how to blend them together.
Why White Rice?
The first question you might ask is, why white rice? During a cleanse, the metabolism slows down and the digestive strength weakens, so any food eaten must be very easy to digest.
Basmati_Rice_in_a_Basket
During a cleanse, long-grain white rice may be preferable for ease of digestion.
For khichadi, white rice is used because the husk has been milled off to make the rice easier to digest. While brown rice may be used – and will actually supply more nutrients – the husk makes brown rice much harder to digest. During cleansing, a time of already compromised digestion, this can irritate the intestinal wall and cause digestive gas or abdominal pain.
Traditionally, farmers would bring their rice to the miller and have the rice de-husked based on their needs. If someone was sick, elderly, or there was a baby in the house, all of the husk would come off, making white rice for the ease of digestion. Brown rice was used only if digestive strength was optimal or when funds were short, as it was expensive to have the rice prepared and de-husked.
Typically, long grain white rice was used over short grain rice because it was believed to be more nutritious. Even without the husk, it was considered a more stable food than short grain rice. Now, studies have shown that long grain white rice has a lower glycemic index than short grain rice.
Om Namah Shivay
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