Kye’s Signature Kitchari Recipe

Kye’s founder, Jeanne Cheng, a self taught chef, began her foray into food as a means to help her son, Kye, find dishes that didn’t aggravate his food sensitivities. Since then, she has grown her passion into a restaurant business that is loved by many Angelenos for its marriage of comfort food flavors and convenience with healthy whole foods.More recently, Kye’s Montana added a Kitchari Bar to their restaurant. As many of you know, kitchari (pronounced kich-uh-ree) is a vegan Ayurvedic staple used for cleansing and to promote general health and wellness.

Kitchari has been said to eliminate accumulated toxins, improve digestion, support healthy weight, improve energy and vitality, and to all around help you feel good.

At THE FULLEST, we have loved kitchari for its healing properties (and its taste) for some time and are thrilled to share Jeanne’s recipe. She adds, “Kitchari is my go to meal, we eat it all the time. It’s easy to digest, a complete protein, rich in fiber, and has gentle cleansing properties. It’s tridoshic, which means it’s good for everyone. Whenever Kye comes home from a birthday party where he’s eaten a bunch of junk, he asks for veggies and kitchari.”Whether you’ve got kids or are just a kitchari lover looking for a great take on this Ayurvedic classic, this recipe is nourishing and simple.

Jeanne Cheng's Kye's Kitchari Recipe

Ingredients:

• 500g organic Mung Dahl from 24 Mantra
• ¼ cup organic grass fed ghee (or cold-pressed, organic olive oil)
• 2 tablespoons spice mix (ground organic fennel, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, black pepper)
• 3 tablespoons celtic sea salt
• 200 grams water

Instructions:

1. Wash mung dahl 3x, strain and set aside
2. Heat ghee in pot, add spice mix and bloom
3. Add mung dahl and mix till well coated
4. Add salt and water and as soon as it boils, turn burner to low and set timer for 10 mins, stir, 10 mins, stir, 10 mins, remove from heat and stir
5. Ladle over organic basmati rice or organic quinoa and top with cooked vegetables, roasted yam, avocado, raw organic sauerkraut, nuts, cilantro, yogurt, lime wedge
6. Rice or quinoa and vegetables can also be added and cooked with the mung dahl, add more water, spice mix, and salt to your taste

Jeanne's a Chinese American Gen X-er with a very interesting background and point of view. She holds degrees in molecular biology, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and spiritual psychology. Kye's concept was born out of a need to find ways to get her son, who had a number of food sensitivities, to eat well. She's also an author with a published children's book and spends a lot of time advocating for children's health and better school nutrition. More about her on their website at kyesfeelgoodfood.com.