BODY CLEANSING RECIPES

Photo by: Dante Alighieri/Wikimedia Commons

Photo by: Dante Alighieri/Wikimedia Commons

KITCHARI

This basic recipe is good for vata dosha,, doshas with the noted additions. Makes 3 cups

  • 1 c basmati rice  soaked for one hour

  • ½ c organic whole mung beans)-soaked for at least three hours before cooking

  • or Split yellow mung beans rinsed and soaked for one hour

  • 4 c purified water

  • 2 T organic ghee

  • 1 tsp. black mustard seed

  • 1 tsp. cumin seed

  • 1 pinches hing (asafetida)
-very strong flavor-can omit

  • 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger


  • ½ tsp. sea salt


  • ½ tsp. turmeric


  • ½ yellow onion, chopped (can omit)

  • ¼ cup coconut milk


For pitta dosha imbalance


½ tsp. dry fennel seed
) or  2 sliced carrots
1 ½ c fresh green beans
1 small zucchini, sliced



For kapha dosha imbalance


1 ½ tsp. coriander seed
1 ½ tsp. oregano
3 bay leaves
Two cups chopped vegetables, including zucchini, leafy greens, green beans




Recipe Instructions

1. Rinse the rice and mung beans and soak for three hours or overnight. Drain. If using vegetables, cut into cubes. 



2. In a pot, warm the ghee over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds (and, if using, fennel and coriander seed) and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic. 

Add onions and sauté until soft (5 minutes)

3. Add turmeric (and if using, other spices), mung beans, and rice. Then add water, coconut milk and ginger. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 40 minutes. 



4. If using vegetables, add starchy ones (carrot), green beans) halfway through the cooking. Zucchini and greens should be added 10 minutes before the kitchari is done. If you need to add a more water, do so, but the kitchari should be the consistency of stew when done. 



5. Garnish with fresh cilantro chutney and add salt to taste. You can have avocado with a little salt and lemon or steamed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, beets, green beans, asparagus, fennel, and summer squashes) as a side dish. 

Eat enough to feel satisfied, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups, and then relax for at least 15 minutes (laying on your left side is best) to support good digestion.

add Coriander Chutney as desired

 CORIANDER CHUTNEY

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

  • 1 bunch coriander thick stems removed

  • 1/4 small onion roughly chopped

  • 1/4 cups unsweetened grated coconut (or 1/2 cups fresh pulp)

  • 1/2 inch ginger roughly chopped

  • 2 Serrano chilies (or other spicy green chili)

  • 2 lemons juiced

  • salt to taste

Recipe Instructions

1. Put the cumin seed and mustard seed in a small heavy bottomed pan and roast over heat until the spices are fragrant, but be careful not to burn them. The key is to keep the spices constantly moving in the pan by shaking it with a swirling motion.

2. Put the spices in a spice grinder and pulverize.

3. Add everything including the toasted spices into a blender and blitz until smooth. Add some water if the chutney is too thick then adjust salt to taste.

4. Stored in an airtight container in the fridge your green chutney should last at least 1 week.

INDIAN LENTIL STEW

  • 3 C red or yellow lentils

  • 2 onions, thinly sliced

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 2 Tbsp. ginger, chopped

  • 1 ½ C tomatoes, chopped

  • 4 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

  • 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds

  • 1 Tbsp. madras curry

  • 2 Tbsp. ground cumin seeds

  • ½ Tbsp. turmeric

  • splash of braggs amino acid

  • ½ cup coconut milk

Recipe Instructions

1. In a deep pot, put a little of the ghee add spices and sauté onions until golden. 

2. Add garlic, ginger, tomatoes. 

3. Add 2 cups of water and cook while mashing tomatoes with a spoon. 

4. Add lentils and cover them with water. 

5. Cook at medium heat. 

6. Add more water if needed.  Don’t let the lentils dry. 

7. When lentils are soft, add the coconut milk. 

8. Garnish with cilantro and a splash of braggs.

COSTA RICAN BLACK BEAN SOUP

  • Soak beans the night before!

  • 2 C black beans

  • 1 ½ qt. water

  • 1 onion, chopped in quarters

  • 1½ bell pepper- ½ for soup, 1 for seasoning

  • 3 garlic cloves

  • 3 branches fresh thyme

  • 1 tbsp. fresh oregano

  • 1 avocado

  • 1 bunch cilantro

Recipe Instructions 

1. Place all ingredients in pot and simmer until beans are tender. 

2. Add water if necessary. 

3. When ready, remove the vegetables and thyme branches. 

4. Place half of the beans in blender.  Reserve other half. 

5. When blended stir both batches together and add seasoning.

Seasoning:

Sauté in saucepan 1 chopped onion, 1 diced bell pepper, 4 cloves garlic chopped, bunch of chopped cilantro and oregano.  Add this to the beans (both blended and not blended).  Add more water if necessary.  The soup should not be too liquid.  Serve with avocado and cilantro. 

BEET SOUP

  • 2 C beets-peeled and cooked until soft

  • ½ onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves of garlic

  • 2 Tbsp.  Apple cider vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp.  Braggs

  • 3 Tbsp. Fresh parsley

  • 1 Tbsp. black pepper

  • 2 Tsp. ground cinnamon

  • Required amount of vegetable broth

Recipe Instructions

Place all ingredients in blender with enough broth to find desired consistency.  Can be eaten cool or warm, depending on the weather!

QUINOA TABOULEH

  • 1 cup quinoa, uncooked


  • 1 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


  • 1/4 cup olive oil -substitute flaxseed oil


  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
black pepper to taste


  • 4 scallions, minced (whites and greens)


  • 1 cup packed minced fresh parsley


  • 10 leaves fresh mint (or 2 Tbsp dried), minced


  • 1 small cucumber, seeded and minced


Recipe Instructions 

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve.

2. Drain well, and place in medium sauce pan.

3. Add 2 cups water (or stock) and bring to boil.

4. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook 12 minutes.

5. Drain well, spread on paper towel lined baking sheet and cool for 5 minutes.

6. Transfer to a bowl.

7. In a small bowl, combine salt, lemon juice, oil, and pepper.

8. Pour over quinoa and mix thoroughly.

9. Add all other ingredients, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

10. Serve cold. This recipe is even better the next day.

DETOX VEGETABLE SOUP

Vata choose sweet potato; replace kale with other leafy greens

Pittas choose sweet potato; replace spinach with other leafy greens; reduce ginger to 1/2" piece; omit pepper

Kaphas choose turnips; replace 1 or both zucchinis with 1 or 2 cups chopped cabbage

  • 1 large onion, chopped small

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 2 turnips or 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped small

  • 4 cups vegetable stock (from 1 vegetable stock cube)

  • 1" piece of ginger, minced

  • 2 large zucchinis, chopped small

  • 2 cups minced curly kale

  • a large handful of spinach, coarsely chopped

  • juice of 1 lemon

  • fresh chopped parsley, flax oil and fresh black pepper for garnish

Recipe Instructions

1. Saute the onion and garlic in a sauce pan with a little water for a few minutes.

2. Add the turnip or sweet potato and saute until they just begin to soften.

3. Stir in the stock and ginger and simmer for 10 minutes. 

 4. Add zucchini and kale and cook over medium-low heat for half an hour, covered.

5. At the end, stir in spinach and lemon juice, letting the spinach wilt.

6. Puree half the soup in a blender or using a hand blender and serve with a drizzle of flax oil and generous scatter of parsley and fresh pepper. Serves 3.

BEET HUMMUS

Serving Size: 16

Calories per serving: 79

Fat per serving: 6

  • 1 15oz Can Cannelloni Beans, drained and rinsed

  • 8 oz. Baby Beets, cooked

  • 1/4 Cup Tahini

  • 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

  • 1 Tablespoon Horseradish

  • 2 Teaspoons Garlic, minced

  •  1/2 Teaspoon Salt

  •  1/4 Cup Olive Oil (use less for the cleanse)

Recipe Instructions

1. In a food processor combine the cannelloni beans, beets, tahini, lemon juice, horseradish, garlic and salt together and blend until the mixture is nearly smooth.

2. While the processor is running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the mixture is completely combined.

3. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill for at least one hour and up to 24 hours.

Karen Quinn