So, if you've read any of my previous posts, you'll know I said I'd be posting seasonal recipes... And then promptly decided the term 'recipe' was a bit overwhelming. I've now also decided the term 'seasonal' is probably a bit limiting! Anyway, I've done pretty well on the obviously seasonal front in my last few posts but I'd like to share one of my favourite kitchen 'go to' recip(ish)es which I regularly fall back on at any time of year, come rain or shine!
I first encountered the concept of kedgeree when I was unwell in India. It can also be further anglicised as kitchari or any number of alternative spellings of the term, which in Hindi basically means mixture or mess! It's a classic Indian home cooked meal for when you're ill and you'll find thousands of recipes online referring to it as an Ayurvedic staple and an essential part of an Ayurvedic monodiet cleanse. When I was fed it by the kindly and concerned grandmother of the family in whose home I was convalescing, it was extremely basic, literally just moong dal (split, hulled mung beans) and white rice with a whiff of turmeric and about three grains of salt. The idea of it being an excellent food for recovery and cleansing is simply that it's very easy to digest whilst containing a goodly amount of basic nutrition. I certainly wouldn't consider myself to be any sort of reliable source on Ayurveda, which is an incredibly complex science that basically aims to balance the classical elements in the body based upon a person's inherent constitution, but I've read enough to know that spring is considered a very appropriate time for a cleanse. So, whilst this might not be seasonal in the sense of what's currently growing in our garden, it's completely appropriate for the time of year if you take an Ayurvedic view! |
One of the things I love about kedgeree, however you choose to spell it, is that it can be almost infinitely varied according to your tastes and what you have on hand. I regularly swap rice for quinoa, lentils for chickpeas and you can use any sort of nut or vegetable you like, seasoned as you choose. Of course if you want it to be a dish of Ayurvedic benefit, you'd need to do a bit of research and check your dosha (Ayurvedic type) and meal plan accordingly... But if you just want a sime, nutritious and tasty meal you can't particularly go wrong! This is how I make a version that's a bit more elaborate than the one I was served when I was barely even able to eat, but should also be fairly 'Tridoshic', or pretty suitable whatever your type. Feel free to improvise!
So, here's a version I often resort to, and happily Nik also enjoys this almost indefinitely it seems. I normally cook a big batch and we'll have it for lunch as well as dinner, or dinner and then lunch, maybe even dinner again, especially if we've got a busy day coming up. Technically that's not ideal, as Ayurvedic practice teaches that the prana, or life force, in foods diminishes pretty quickly but it seems to work for us and it’s still got to be better than processed food or convenience store snacking!
So, here's a version I often resort to, and happily Nik also enjoys this almost indefinitely it seems. I normally cook a big batch and we'll have it for lunch as well as dinner, or dinner and then lunch, maybe even dinner again, especially if we've got a busy day coming up. Technically that's not ideal, as Ayurvedic practice teaches that the prana, or life force, in foods diminishes pretty quickly but it seems to work for us and it’s still got to be better than processed food or convenience store snacking!
| I normally use about equal parts split red lentils to brown rice. If you really do need something that's very easy to digest, you're probably better off with white rice but if you've got an essentially healthy gut, brown rice contains more benefits in terms of fibre and nutrients. Red lentils are some of the easiest pulses to digest so you may well get away with chucking them straight in but to maximise digestibility you'll need to soak them for a few hours, drain and then boil them, skimming off the frothy scum that accumulates on the surface. What you're actually doing is removing the lectins, which are the proteins that many plants produce to deter things (including you and me) from eating them. It's these lectins that often cause digestive difficulties and can hinder bioavailability of some of the nutritional content so probably good to avoid them if possible! In this case, I gave them a good soak but I didn't boil them as I was a little short on time. Quite a bit of froth came off with a thorough wash and neither of us are struggling with digestion at the moment! With the rice measured and washed and the lentils ready to go, I then like to chop some carrot and celery very finely and peel, then grate some root ginger and turmeric. I'll also remove the stems from a handful of fresh coriander leaves and chop them finely too. With all those bits pre-prepped, it then comes together very quickly; melt some coconut oil (traditionally this would be ghee but coconut is a good vegan substitute and additionally cooling for us fiery pitta dosha types) and fry equal amounts of cumin, coriander and fennel seed. I usually use a teaspoon of each. When they're frothing away nicely, stir in the grated roots and add some freshly ground black pepper and a bit of salt (either sea salt or a mineral salt like the Himalayan pink stuff is best). I'll stir in a bit of ground turmeric too at this point. |
You could easily dispense with the fresh stuff to be honest, I just like using it, even if it does turn my fingers sunshine yellow! Chuck the coriander stalks, carrots and celery in before anything starts burning and turn the heat down. If you’re cooking with any other veg, add it here too. I tend to think of the carrot and celery as basic staples but I’ll also add butternut squash quite regularly. Okra, green peas, broccoli and spinach are all regular favourites but you could use pretty much anything you like. Once it’s all stirred in, I like to pop the lid on and let it sweat a bit. Incidentally, in my latest batch, I also chucked in a few fenugreek seeds. Not strictly tridoshic but it gives it a tasty boost and this feast was for flavour, I wasn't particularly trying to cleanse or balance! Once you’re happy that it’s all looking nicely on the way, chuck in the lentils, add enough freshly boiled water (and then some) to cover the lot, and add the rice. Give it a good stir, replace the lid and let it simmer gently. I’ll check it every now and then, to be sure it’s not sticking but it’s pretty self sufficient from there!
Now’s a good time to prep the sprinkles! I like to serve it with toasted cashews and coconut as well as the chopped leaves of coriander from the stems I’ve already used. I’ve discovered that it’s extremely easy to burn desiccated coconut so I’ve got a little technique for this. First, dry roast the cashews gently until they’re looking nicely browned in all the right places and then turn off the heat. Add the coconut straight away and keep it moving. The pan will still be hot enough to toast it gently; but not hot enough to burn. This is also a good time to juice a lime or two (depends how much you’re cooking and how limey you like it!), which you’ll also want to set aside. |
That’s the job pretty much done. When you’re satisfied that the lentils are cooked and the rice is fluffy (another reason I like to use brown rice is that it’s less likely to turn to mush, in my experience) turn off the heat. Let it cool for just a moment or two then stir in the lime juice. It really does make such a big difference to flavour if you stir it in at the end, when it’s just that little bit less hot, so the cooling is definitely not a step to rush past.
Serve with generous amounts of coriander and cashew-coconut sprinkle! We also like to have it with poppadoms and a bit of lime pickle, though I’ve also served it with chapati and sometimes I make a coconut or sesame chutney to have with it too! So there you have kedgeree; probably my favourite go to dish, for sickness and for health, for cleansing and for a comforting feed. A versatile and delicious friend, whatever the season or weather and no matter you choose to translate it as 'mixture' or 'mess' it's still a most delicious example of either!
Enjoy! xx
Serve with generous amounts of coriander and cashew-coconut sprinkle! We also like to have it with poppadoms and a bit of lime pickle, though I’ve also served it with chapati and sometimes I make a coconut or sesame chutney to have with it too! So there you have kedgeree; probably my favourite go to dish, for sickness and for health, for cleansing and for a comforting feed. A versatile and delicious friend, whatever the season or weather and no matter you choose to translate it as 'mixture' or 'mess' it's still a most delicious example of either!
Enjoy! xx