SVA Kichdi: Ayurvedic Comfort Food On-the-Go!

Tridoshic Single-Serve Pre-assembled Rice, Lentils, and Spice Pouches

Can you eat comfort food and still be healthy? Try it with one of my 5 ayurvedic kichdi-s: variations on a the classical original blend of rice, lentils, and spices. When the samyog (combination) and samskar (preparation) are done right, kichdi is a full meal, creamy in texture, light, yet nourishing and sustaining. Highly popular in South Asia with innumerable varations, Khichdi (Khicṛī) is derived from Sanskrit खिच्चा khiccā, a dish of rice and legumes. In India, it is not only the first solid food that we give to our babies, but it is also used when cleansing and detoxifying the body of seasonal residual impurities. Kichdi is ideal when trying to reset the overall digestive system and can be used anytime of the year or day – depending on preparation and ingredients. The concept is simple and allows itself to be easily tailored to address different conditions. Anyone who has ever had a seasonal ayurvedic cleansing treatment – PK (panchakarma) – will surely have tasted a kichdi.  But now you can add kichdi to your seasonal or weekly menu for an easy and delicious way of staying on top of your health.

The basic recipe of kichdi is discussed at length  in the ayurvedic shastras. The idea is to mix rice and lentils with a healthy fat and some spice, and cook it down either to a creamy texture or as a blend of rice and legumes. There are no limits to the variations and flavors of kichdi you can make. To meet the needs of everyone for nutrition and detoxification at the same time, and to address all Ayurvedic body type variations, I have put together five fast cooking pre-mixed kichdi pouches.  Each pouch has everything you need for one serving: rice, lentils, spices, ghee, and Soma Salt.  You don’t need to add anything!  All you have to do is cut your pouch open, add it to boiling water, and let it cook for a few minutes.

Why have I made these mixes available? Food is our utmost concern on a daily basis, and no matter how great our intentions, the rhythm of modern life will disrupt our routine at one point or another, leading us to reach out for a not-so-healthy snack from time to time. I’ve made these pre-packaged kichdi pouches to give you the convenience of a quick and healthy meal when you run out of ideas, or are too tired to make an elaborate meal yet are very hungry after a long day at large in the world!

Another reason I wanted to make these mixes available for you are the fact that they contain a very special breed of rice, one that I personally grew up eating in my village in north-east India, and one that is rare to find. I have now, afer a long search, been able to source it, and thus wanted to make it available for you.

•    Tridoshic Kichdi^TM

•    Vata Kichdi with Garcinia and Kulthi^TM

•    Pitta Kichdi with Garcinia and Kulthi ^TM

•    Kapha Kichdi with Garcinia and Kulthi ^TM

•    High Pitta Kichdi ^TM 

All five SVA Kichdi Mixes are made with Kali Jeeri Rice and Organic Mung dhal.  The three tridoshic detox mixes include these, plus Kulthi lentils and Organic Quinoa.  All mixes also contain one of my SVA masalas (spice blends), in addition to Soma Salt^TM.  Each mix has been gently toasted in Mom’s Ghee^TM and then vacuum packed into convenient 4 ounce sealed single-use pouches.

All you have to do is cut the pouch open and add the ingredients into 16 ounces of boiling water. Cover and cook.  The Tridoshic Kichdi Mix^TM   and the High Pitta Kichdi ^TM will be ready to eat in just ten minutes.  The three dosha-specific detox mixes each have Kulthi and will take a little longer to cook, but will still be ready in about 20 minutes.

You can make your kichdi with extra water to get a creamy texture, or you can add the exact amount of water to have it like a mixture of dry rice and lentils. You can also add double the amoun of water to have a soupy thick texture, and you can throw in some diced zucchini, or daikon radish. No matter how much water you add, make sure you boil the water before adding your mixture, to prevent clumping of the ingredients. Your kichdi will also cook faster that way. Don’t forget to cover your pot to retain the aromatic properties of the ingredients.

Traditionally, in India, kichdi is consumed during recovery from an ailment. But you don’t have to be sick or convalescing to enjoy kichdi.  You may have kichdi anytime. Under certain conditions or situations, however, kichdi can be even more beneficial.  For example, instead of fasting or doing a juice diet, or some other hard detox program, you can feed yourself kichdi to help ease out toxins. If you are even a little familiar with SVA, you will know that I always warn against harsh detox programs.  A kichdi diet is a safe balanced gradual approach to detoxification, even as you maintain adequate amounts of required complex carbohydrates and protein in the diet, and thus proceed without causing nutritional deficiencies.  Kichdi is one of my recommended foods in my Do-it-yourself-SVA-PK: 7-Tissue 7 Week Detox Plan for SVA Home PK.   Now that my fast cooking pre-mixed kichdi blends are here, the 7 week detox program is even easier for you to follow.

Besides using kichdi for PK or convalescing during illness, eating kichdi can give us adequate nutrition while simultaneously letting our digestive system rest and reset itself, which is especially important if you lead a stressful life or cannot stay on top of your SVA meals and routine most of the time.

This is exactly why I made these mixes, because life is busy and having these pouches gives us an easy choice to eat healthy instead of reaching for high calorie, low nutrition snacks, fast foods, or left-overs.

You may notice, overtime, that the regular use of kichdi may improve your mental functions, making your thinking clearer and sharper, it may also help balance your emotions.  Most of us know the hyped feeling that comes from consuming (too much) sugar, the heavy, dull feeling from an excess of dairy, fats, red meat or the ungrounded , spaced and unfocussed effects from too much raw foods, vegetable and fruit juices.

Kichdi may well be the most perfect therapeutic recipe of all because it detoxifies the entire system, while kindling the body’s digestive fires called ‘agni.’

All this being said, I am not recommending that you eat only kichdi day in and day out – except in special cases of debilitating illness with low agni and loss of appetite.  Kichdi, alone, even though nutritious, will not supply every nutrient that the average, healthy working person needs.  Used wisely though, kichdi will complement your daily diet and support your SVA health regimen. Kichdi may look like a poor man’s meal but it will make you feel like a king!

 

Kichdi as defined in the Ayurvedic Sutra-s:

The classical name of kichdi in Sanskrit is krsara.  I always follow the vedic siddhantas (principles with proven results) of the classical recipes, and follow the guidelines for how to modify the recipes based on the needs of each person or their constitutione and/or condition – their vyadhi (disease) and imbalances.

First, let us talk about the Tridoshic Kichdi Mix^TM , which is based on the definition of kichdi given to us by Bhav Prakash.  This kichdi is the closest to the common kichdi used for many centuries in India.  I chose the name SVA Tridoshic Kichdi Mix^TM,  but I could have called it ‘Kichdi By Definition’! These convenient pouches contain Kali Jeeri Rice, Organic Mung Dhal (wild variety), Sunthi (Ayurvedic Ginger), Mom’s Super Spice^TM, Soma Salt^TM, and Mom’s Ghee^TM.

This blend is tri-doshic – good for all Ayurvedic body types, and perfect for anyone without any extreme imbalances of vata, pitta, or kapha.  This kichdi has the proper proportion of the special rice, or Kali Jeeri Rice, and organic mung dhal.  I grew up eating this rice but, for a long time, I was not able to find any sources that sold the rice that was free from pesticides.  However, my efforts finally paid off recently.  Whenever pesticides are used in growing rice, in addition to the toxic load, the aroma of the rice gets lost.  This rice is grown with no pesticides and is very aromatic and pleasing to smell.  Also Kali Jeeri rice has many wonderful qualities setting it apart from other varieties of rice:  It has a low glycemic index (important for optimum sugar levels), cooks faster than other rice, is lighter and easier to digest, and it has a very balanced interaction with the mung dhal.  The dhal in the blend is the wild smaller variety, and is certified organic.

The Tridoshic Kichdi Mix^TM  can be eaten any time of day, in any season.  Prepare and eat it as is, or throw in your favorite fast cooking vegetables, like summer squash, or baby Spinach leaves.  Please note that the whole blend has been carefully pre-toasted in just the right quantity of Mom’s Ghee.  So, there is no need to use extra ghee, but you have that option to, if you want to.

Now let’s see what the verses say:

Tandula: Rice

Dali: Dhal

Sammisra: Balanced mixture

Lavaṇārdrakahiṅgubhiḥ: Salt and dry ginger.  (I use Soma Salt^TM and Sunthi (Ayurvedic Ginger suitable for all body types – even pitta).

Hingubhi:  Hing or asafetida.  (The real hing is not easily available this day and age.  I replaced hing with Mom’s Super Spice^TM.)

Saṁyuktāḥ:  Mixing all together

Salile: Water

Siddhāḥ: Cooked

Kṛśarā: Kichdi

Kathitā: Named or called

Budhaiḥ: Wise person (called kṛśarā by the wise person)

As happy as I am to bring you these kichdi recipes with Kali Jeeri Rice, I am equally happy to give you organic mung dhal – but not just any mung dhal.  I use the smaller, wild variety which gives all the qualities mentioned in the verse below.  To prepare kichdi it was traditionally necessary to sort through the dhal to remove any unwanted debris, such as tiny rocks and twigs.  The mung dhal used in my pouches have been meticulously sifted to remove any debris. Let us see what the Bhava Prakash Dhanyavarga verse says about this light, highly nutritious lentil.

 

Rukso: Dry.  (I balance the dryness by lightly toasting all ingredients in Mom’s Ghee^TM.)

Laghu: Easy to digest

Grahi: Easy to absorb

Kaphapittaharo: Kapha & Pitta Pacifying:  (After toasting with Mom’s Ghee^TM the mix becomes tri-doshic.)

Hima: Cooling.  (Balanced by the pre-mixed spices not to be too cooling.)

Svadu: Tasty

Alpanilo:  A little vata aggravating.  (Balanced by the unctuousness of Mom’s Ghee^TM.)

Netryo:  Good for eyes

Jvaraghno: Good pathya.  (Pathya is a daily food supporting disease management or recovery.  Mung dhal is a good pathya during fever.)

Vanajastathā:  Wild variety, smaller variety.  (There are two varieties of mung dhal.  I use the smaller, wild variety.  The larger variety does not have all the qualities.)

Tridoshic Kichdi Mix^TM

Kali Jeeri Rice

Organic Mung Dhal (small variety)

Soma Salt^TM

Sunthi (Ayurvedic Ginger)

Mom’s Ghee^TM

Mom’s Super Spice^TM

Cooking Directions: Cut open the pouch, add the ingredients into 16 ounces of boiling water, and cook covered for approximately 8-10 minutes.  Pre-toasted in Mom’s Ghee^TM.   No need to add anything.Enjoy!

 

High Pitta Kichdi Mix ^TM

I made this mix especially for high pittas and pitta body types who simply cannot handle the spices typically used in kichdi – even the gentleness of Mom’s Super Spice.  Why? Pitta body-types receive more agni by nature. It’s just the way they’re born. A chili plant receives more agni than a zucchini plant by nature. That can’t be changed, but when pitta body-types get pitta aggravation, the joy of being pitta goes away.  The pitta body-type itself is very sensitive to manage. There is no buffer in the pitta physiology. If toxins must be removed, they can easily heat the body, or damage it when they come out. It takes real skill to handle pitta body types. When you add a pitta aggravation to the mix, the challenge becomes that much more difficult. If the liver is toxic, and the blood is full of amavisha (toxicity), you have to take baby steps to get the body clean. It can take years to detox because each bit of toxin that gets removed must be neutralized immediately to prevent a reaction.  In this situation, we need extra special treatment.

This is why I made this extra cooling kichdi for pittas.  It has a gently sweet, soothing and cooling taste that cools and pacifies pitta with its aroma even before eating.  It has Pitta Masala, in addition to fennel and rose petals.

SVA Kichdi Mix for High Pitta^TM 

Kali Jeeri Rice

Organic Mung Dhal

Mom’s Ghee^TM

Pitta Masala

Organic Fennel

Organic Rose Petals

Soma Salt^TM

Cooking Directions: Tear the pouch, put the ingredients into 16 ounces of boiling water, and cook covered for approximately 8-10 minutes.  Pre-toasted in Mom’s Ghee^TM.   No need to add anything – enjoy!

 

SVA Detox Kichdi Mix: Three Types (Vata, Pitta, & Kapha)

Traditionally kichdi supports gentle, daily detox but I wanted to give you a blend that takes detox one step further with the inclusion of Kulthi and Quinoa.  Quinoa is native to South America and not known or used in traditional Indian culture.  However, I have found this small seed to be a powerhouse of fiber and protein, yet it’s light and easily digested.  Kulthi lentils offer deep detoxification of any crystallized, unused calcium, and support the asthi dhatu (bones) to metabolize calcium in a complete way.  Each detox blend varies by and contains one of my Garcinia Masalas – Vata, Pitta, or Kapha.

All variations contain Kali Jeeri Rice, Mung dhal, Quinoa, Kulthi, Soma Salt^TM, Mom’s Ghee^TM, Mom’s Super Spice^TM, and Garcinia Masala (by dosha)

Let us see some of the benefits of the ingredients –

•    Mung dhal – Excellent for cellular detoxification:  High source of nutrients including: manganese, potassium, magnesium, folate, copper, zinc and various B vitamins.  A 100 gram serving provides approximately 24 grams of easy-to-digest protein.  Can aid in weight loss.

•    Quinoa – This tiny grain from the Andes is gluten-free and high in protein.  It’s one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids!  Read ‘11 Proven Health Benefits of Quinoa.’

•    Kulthi:   Sometimes the toxins in the body (especially garvisha, the xenobiotics, and amavisha, the hot reactive toxins) are bound with unused excess calcium.  These crystallized toxins need something to break them down.  In my SVA lineage, we address calcification with Kulthi.  Kulthi is a lentil that grows on hard rocky soil in the Himalayan Mountains. Many of us, especially as we age, can benefit greatly by consuming this lentil.  Besides de-calcification, Kulthi is quite nourishing. It has a very low glycemic index and very few calories. It enhances the digestive fire or pachak agni and the dhatu agnis, making sure that no ama or semi-digested material is formed.  It also provides a good source of vegetarian protein.  On top of that, Kulthi can assist with weight loss or the maintenance of optimal weight, especially when cooked with one of my Garcinia Masalas.  Kulthi owns an excellent nutritional profile, especially high in easily assimilated protein.  We might as well call it an undiscovered Superfood!  Read more about kulthi here: Daily Decalcification and Detox With Instant Kulthi Protein Powder 

•    Garcinia Masala:  Garcinia cambogia is a small, sweet, exotic fruit native to South India and Southeast Asia that has garnered a lot of attention as a popular natural weight loss aid.  Indeed it does help weight loss, but it can also support weight gain if that is what the body needs. In Sanskrit, Garcinia cambogia is called “vrikshamla.” It is mentioned in the ayurvedic “nighantu”-s (or glossaries) as a vata and kapha dosha pacifying dravya or food ingredient. Regardless of your body type, adding garcinia to your diet will help you enhance absorption of your nutrients – this is due to its unique thermogenic potency. Garcinia will sharpen your taste buds, clearing away ama or toxic build-up in your oral cavity, and reset proper metabolism in your blood, muscle, and fat.  I have added Garcinia Masala to these three detox kichdis for flavor and for additional detox and balancing power on these tissues.

The spice ingredients in the Garcinia Masalas vary from one to the other, but let me describe some of these spices in detail.

Cumin:  Cumin seeds enhance the absorption of nutrients from the food, pacifying and nurturing vata dosha

Coriander:  Coriander seeds eliminate toxins from the body easing things up for vata metabolism and cooling off pitta and amavisha (reactive toxins).

Fennel: Fennel gently stimulates agni without overheating and coordinates the effects of all the other herbs.

Fenugreek: Fenugreek seeds enhance fat and protein metabolism to pacify kapha dosha and facilitate weight management.

Green and black cardamom: These spices enhance protein metabolism

Cinnamon:  Cinnamon enhances sugar and carbohydrate metabolism preventing them from being stored as fat and leading to weight gain.

Ajwain: Unclouds Pachaka Agni (flame of digestion in stomach) and pacifies vata in the stomach – samana vata –to support digestion

Learn more about Garcinia – the ‘Holy Grail’ of weight loss – in my blog: Garcinia – One for All

SVA Detox Kichdi Mix for Vata^TM

Kali Jeeri Rice

Organic Quinoa

Organic Mung Dhal

Kulthi Lentils

Mom’s Ghee^TM

Garcinia Masala for Vata^TM

Soma Salt^TM

Mom’s Super Spice^TM

Cooking Directions: Cut the pouch open and the ingredients into 16 ounces of boiling water, cook covered for approximately 18-20 minutes.  The Kulthi lentils (no matter how much cooked) will still be slightly crunchy on the inside.  This is normal.  Pre-toasted in Mom’s Ghee^TM.   No need to add anything –  enjoy!

SVA Detox Kichdi Mix for Pitta^TM

Kali Jeeri Rice

Organic Quinoa

Organic Mung Dhal

Kulthi Lentils

Mom’s Ghee^TM

Garcinia Masala for Pitta^TM

Soma Salt ^TM

Mom’s Super Spice^TM

Cooking Directions: Cut the pouch open and add the ingredients into 16 ounces of boiling water, cook covered for approximately 18-20 minutes.  The Kulthi lentils (no matter how much cooked) will still be slightly crunchy on the inside.  This is normal.  Pre-toasted in Mom’s Ghee^TM.   No need to add anything – enjoy!

SVA Detox Kichdi Mix for Kapha^TM

Kali Jeeri Rice

Organic Quinoa

Organic Mung Dhal

Kulthi Lentils

Mom’s Ghee^TM

Garcinia Masala for Kapha^TM

Soma Salt^TM

Mom’s Super Spice^TM

Cooking Directions: Cut the pouch open, add the ingredients into 16 ounces of boiling water, cook covered for approximately 20 minutes.  The Kulthi lentils (no matter how much cooked) will still be slightly crunchy on the inside.  This is normal.  Pre-toasted in Mom’s Ghee^TM.   No need to add anything – enjoy!

 

Disclaimer

This product and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. All of the information above is intended to be used for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or compliment medical advice.