Like me, many of you have probably made new year’s resolutions to get in better shape, lose weight or eat healthier. Maybe you started that, but need another boost to keep going. So I am sharing with you a food-based cleanse I have done several times called Kicharee, brought to me by a Boulder, Colorado naturopath.
Kicharee is made from the green mung bean, revered in India as the mildest and most digestible vegetable protein food. Designed to restore and heal the body, a three-to-five day kicharee diet (eaten for 3 meals a day) is considered an effective way to detoxify and purify the body in a safe and balanced way.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- mung beans (as seen in the jar on the top left of the photo)
- brown rice
- ghee (clarified butter) or sesame oil
- cumin seed
- coriander seed
- cumin powder
- coriander powder
- turmeric powder
First, prepare the mung beans:
- Rinse the beans
- Cook one part beans to 6 parts water
- Add a pinch of salt
- As the beans cook, you can skim off the froth on the top of the water
- Cook beans until soft, about 2 hours (add more water if needed)
Next, prepare the rice:
- Make the rice per directions with a pinch of salt (or 1 cup rice to 2 1/4 cups water, simmering for about 45 minutes)
Finally, here’s how to make kicharee:
- Measure equal portions of each spice: whole coriander seed, whole cumin seed, powdered coriander seed, powdered cumin, powdered turmeric
- Heat the whole coriander and whole cumin in sesame oil or ghee, stirring frequently
- After a couple of minutes, stir in the powdered spices
- Stir in some mung beans, adding water to make a soupy consistency
- Cook for 5-10 minutes
- Serve kicharee (the mung bean and spices you’ve just created) over rice
- Optional: Steam organic green veggies and add to the meal
I prepare about 2 cups dry beans and 2 cups dry rice to last for a couple days. I save these in the fridge and then prepare the beans with sesame oil and spices individually for each meal so it’s hot and fresh each time. I serve the kicharee a little soupy on top of the rice, and then pile lightly steamed organic green veggies on top of it all. (My favorite veggies to use are steamed dinosaur kale, also called lacinato kale, or broccoli.)
Notes:
* When you follow this kicharee diet, you’ll probably feel hungry, even if eating it 3 or 4 times per day. That’s good! You’re giving your body a chance to devote energy to taking care of itself and not digest food.
* To mitigate your potential taste disappointment: the taste of kicharee is quite modest, not your typical Indian style meal full of spicyness and flavor.
Let me know what you think and how you feel after trying this cleanse ~ I wish all of you a wonderful year!
mark // Feb 6, 2008 at 1:00 am
Hey, I just started and have been eating it for 2 days. I really like the taste and suprisingly my food cravings are quite low.
Im actually hoping to lose weight on this. what has been your experience with weight loss while eating this? How long do you stick with it?
thanks
Bacon Is Good // Feb 7, 2008 at 1:24 am
Hi Mark, I’m glad you’re enjoying the kicharee!
I haven’t done the cleanse as a way to lose weight directly. I found it very effective in “resetting” my body and also noticed reduced food cravings, which I think would help the most with weight loss…. The longest I’ve done the kicharee diet solo was 3 days. I have wanted to try it for an entire week, but haven’t yet.
Best wishes for your health and happiness!
nick // May 21, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Hey,
you really got me interested, it is now spring and hope summer come up soon:-) so I will save your cleanse recipes for next winter…
Thanks so much for your generosity and for your best wishes.. and I must say it “the same to you”
health-harmony and peace.
nick
Stephan // Jun 22, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I did the Kicharee diet for 5 days. Food cravings significantly reduced. Weight loss after three days, due in conjunction to 6 day a week ashtanga vinyasa yoga practice in the morning, combined with 4 days of cardio and 2 days of light weights in the late afternoon. This is an excellent method to lose weight when combined with exercise. More significantly, I felt very calm, peaceful and clear. I now make kicharee every week and eat it at least once a day for 5 days. There are many recipes on the web, so next week I will try this one.
Ruby // Oct 22, 2008 at 9:49 pm
I have a similar recipe given to me by and Indian Ayurvedic physician. I have been eating kicharee for almost 10 years now, and it is excellent as a cleansing, centering, and calming diet. Whenever my digestion and/or mental state is in an uproar, I go back to kicharee for stability! Works every time. My version calls for split yellow mung beans and it cooks quite quickly. I add black cumin seeds sauteed for a few minutes in olive oil, when the beans and rice are fully cooked.
Sheila // Mar 25, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Do you eat anything else with this?
Bacon Is Good // Apr 3, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I add lightly steamed green vegetables to this. (Like dinosaur kale, broccoli, snow peas etc.) Usually switching between the veggies for a little variety. Enjoy!
Futile Attempt // Apr 17, 2009 at 1:30 am
[...] I know I can’t change my eating habits overnight, but it’s so frustrating to make some headway and then just fall off track again. In a few weeks I’ll be attempting a detox in order to “reset” my system. I’m not sure if it will actually work, but I’m kind of looking forward to it. I would actually start it now, except it forbids caffeine and I have way too much school stuff to do right now not to have some sort of stimulant in my bloodstream. The day after my final project is submitted, I will be kicking off my shoes, eating a big bowl of fruit, and cooking up a batch of kicharee. [...]