So, you may think, what is so exciting about lentils, root vegetables and rice? Let me tell you, a lot!
Storytime…Because food without a story is empty, soulless. I could have the most amazing tasting dish in my life, but if I cannot connect it to people or place, I forget about it almost the next morning. It is meaningless. Whilst living in Hong Kong, I used to go out to lots of fancy restaurants and I ate absolutely insane looking delicious food. But guess what? I hardly remember what I exactly had. Food memories that actually stayed with me until now, are simple. Grilled pineapples on the small, unpopular beach that I accidentally discovered. Oh, and how I tried to communicate with the lady who was selling them, using my hands.
The best dumplings in my life that I had with my Cantonese friend who showed me around rural parts of Hong Kong. I can still smell dried fish, shrimps, tails of god know what, as I was walking past it every day on my way to work. The list could go on, but you get the point, right? Food is so complex. It activates incredible connections in our brains, and the only way food can be a memorable experience, is to connect it to its spine: memories. I could start each of those blogs in the same way really. Perhaps I should tell the story of my life through food. Do you get my point? Rice, lentils and root vegetables became so much more.
Rice, lentils and vegetables that heal
I first tasted kitchari during my yoga teacher training, we were put through a very drastic body detox, combined with traditional Indian cleansing techniques. This is a memory that will stay with me forever. Kitchari was my breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next 4 days, and I felt like a new person after! Although the process was very tough, and I went through a lot of conflicting emotions, it was an unforgettable experience. This rice, lentils and root vegetable dish would become my friend for years.
What’s so amazing about kitchari? First of all, it tastes wonderful, so you don’t feel like ‘dieting’. Secondly, you can EAT AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE, and lastly, you can make it exciting and different each time you make it since you can use any vegetable combinations. The base stays the same, and you decide about the rest! Traditionally, kitchari asks for frying spices and pulses on ghee, which Indian people believe to be a miraculous, divine food. Naturally, I veganised it, you can use coconut oil or simply good quality olive oil. All you need is a well-stocked spice larder, some of your favourite root vegetables, some fresh dark green leaves, pulses and rice! Let’s cook.
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