Ayurvedic Kitchari Recipe with Coconut Milk - The Herbeevore (2024)

FAQs

What does Ayurveda say about coconut milk? ›

By nature an ambitious organ, the liver falls victim to intense, hot blooded emotions and pitta internal heat conditions. Coconut milk replenishes a liver deficient in fats, and has special cooling properties to soothe an overheated liver. Coconut milk is heavier to digest than coconut butter and coconut oil.

Kitchari Is a Complete Protein

The combination of rice and mung dal provides all the amino acids needed to form a complete protein. Eaten on their own, each of these foods is missing one or more of the essential amino acids that our bodies are not able to make on their own. However, together they make magic happen!

Tender coconut water is considered very good for Vata and Pitta Doshas in Ayurveda due to its cooling and hydrating properties. Vata Dosha is characterized by dryness, roughness, and instability, and is balanced by foods and drinks that are moist, nourishing, and grounding.

Coconut may help to improve digestion due to the presence of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chain fatty acids may be digested and absorbed easily in the body. They may be immediately broken down by saliva and gastric juice without involving the enzymes from the pancreas.

Coconut milk can cause digestive issues, in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Some people may have coconut allergies and may experience abdominal pain after consuming coconut milk.

In general, you can eat enough kitchari to feel satiated but not to the point of exploding (my grandfather always used to say, eat until you can still fit in half a burger into your stomach, you get the point!).

This is a very gentle cleanse, as cleanses go, so you will most likely not find yourself experiencing discomfort. Having said that, you could still experience physical or emotional ups and downs, headaches, body aches, fatigue, irritability. These are all normal, make sure you sleep & hydrate loads.

I also love Kitchari fasting for the benefit of weight loss! A cleanse should include protein to keep blood sugar levels stable so that you feel satisfied and do not overeat. I love Kitchari fasting because it is an easy way to detox, lose weight and boost energy.

Gulping down a glass of coconut milk, especially during summers can actually help keep your body cool and hydrated. Moreover, it is light on your stomach as compared to dairy milk.

Cooling properties: Coconut water has natural cooling properties that can help regulate body temperature and reduce heat stress.

How can I calm my Vata immediately? ›

Stay warm, calm, and relaxed. Indulge in hot baths, warm sesame oil massages, steam and heat treatments, and soothing music. Learn how different foods will affect your constitution. Avoid frozen, cooling, and dried foods, but eat warming, rich, oily foods, only in moderation.

Consuming kitchari two times a day is recommended during a cleanse. Ayurveda suggests eating your largest meal around noon, when the sun is highest in the sky and your digestive fire (agni) is strongest.

To do the kitchari cleanse, enjoy a warm bowl of kitchari for two to three meals a day for three to 21 days. If it's your first time, I recommend just starting with two meals a day (lunch and dinner) for a weekend and having warm tea and fruit or oatmeal for breakfast.

Kedgeree evolved from a well-known Indian dish called kitchari or khichdi, a mixture of rice and lentils flavored with toasted spices. During colonial rule the British adapted kitchari using some of their own familiar ingredients, including smoked fish, eggs, and cream.

In Ayurveda, generally Coconut Milk is recommended to people with an imbalanced Vata Dosha, for both consumption as well as application.

Cow's milk is considered to be the best, but raw goat milk is fine to use too.

Milk from various animals is used according to Ayurveda. Mainly eight types of milk from animal origin are mentioned, namely that from cow, buffalo, goat, camel, human, sheep, elephant and single hoofed animals (horse, etc.) [3]. Among all, that from cow's milk is considered best.

Ancient Ayurvedic scholar Bhav Mishra wrote that when a coconut becomes mature, it becomes heavy to digest, and it can also aggravate Pitta or Vata if the digestive agni of the individual is low. Mature coconuts can also build up toxic ama by interfering with digestion.