There is no safer and better way to rest and balance the digestive system and body than doing a mung / kitchari mono-fast. Mono-fasting means when for a day or more you take a singular food. Nepal had it's famous milk baba who mono-fasted on milk for 12 years or so (this we don't recommend for all of you out there by the way, it is just for select individuals and especially those who have their own cows.)

Charaka Samhita the most ancient and authentic Ayurvedic text teaches that of all the legumes, mung is the most excellent in it's health giving properties. It is easy to digest, nutritive and also helps produce pure tissues and at the same time remove toxins from the system. Even in the Macrobiotic system of diet they are seen as an opportune food.

Mung or Kitchari fasting means for one day at least you take just the recipes as below you can do it with just mung soup or with kitchari. As part of a gentle cleansing schedule you can do it weekly on a day of your choice. You will feel mind, body and senses energized and purified no doubt.

You can do for a few days at a time if there is an acute condition. It works wonders for coughs and colds, lethagy, mental distress and most diseases for that matter. In Yogic lore kitchari is said to be able to cure most diseases. As per Ayurvedic science this makes perfect sense as it pacifies tridosha and nourishes the body with opportune nutrition.

Please note there is no onion or garlic in our mung soup or kitchari, onion and garlic are not good for long term health as they effect the mind (and brain) in ways that are not suitable to long term healing. There are positive health effects of onion and garlic in small amounts in specific diseases but these are not necessary with many other elixirs out there that do not have any ill effects. 

TRIDOSHIC AND SATTIVIK MUNG SOUP RECIPE

INGREDIENTS - GET THIS READY BEFORE YOU START:

• ORGANIC GREEN MUNG BEANS (SOAK FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES, BUT OVERNIGHT IS BEST)
• ORGANIC TURMERIC POWDER
• ORGANIC FRESH GINGER ROOT PEELED AND CUT INTO TINY CUBES
• HIMALAYAN ROCK SALT
• HOME MADE RISHIS MASALA
• ORGANIC PURE COWS GHEE (HOMEMADE IF POSSIBLE)
• CURRY LEAF
• BAY LEAF
• FRESH CORRIANDER (IF NOT AVAILABLE FRESH MINT IS FINE TOO). HOME GROWN IS BEST.
• A LITTLE ORGANIC JAGGERY
• FRESH ORGANIC LIME
• PINCH OF HING POWDER (NATURAL HING NOT THE PROCESSED ONE WITH ADITIVES!)
• DRIED KOKAM
• FRESH SPRING WATER OR RO FILTERED WATER.

KARMA - HOW TO PREPARE

• COOK THE MUNG BEANS UNTIL SOFT (IF DESPARATELY HUNGRY YOU CAN USE A STAINLESS STEEL PRESSURE COOKER OTHERWISE USE A THICK BOTTOMED POT. PLEASE USE A KNOWN NON-TOXIC COOKWARE.
• ADD WATER AS IS NEEDED UNTIL THE BEANS ARE SOFT IF COOKING IN AN OPEN POT IF YOU COOKED IN A PRESSURE COOKER YOU WILL NOT NEED TO ADD WATER
• IN A SEPARATE CAST IRON OR STAINLESS STEAL WOK / KARAI OR PAN PLEASE SASUTEE THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS IN THE GHEE: ORGANIC TURMERIC POWDER, FRESH GINGER ROOT, RISHIS MASALA, CURRY LEAF, BAY LEAF, KOKAM, JAGGERY AND ROCK SALT
• ONCE THE MASALA IS READY AND HAS BROWNED NICELY (WHEN THE GHEE COMBINES WITH THE SPICES AND ALL IT DEEPENS THE MEDICINAL EFFECT OF EACH INGREDIENT), ADD IT TO THE COOKED MUNG BEANS
• IF YOU WISH YOU CAN BLEND IT WITH A HOUSEHOLD BLENDER TO MAKE A SMOOTH PASTE AND ALSO IF DIGESTION IS WEAKER IT CAN BE BETTER TO MAKE IT MORE LIQUID FOR A BETTER EFFECT
• ADD THE FRESH LIME AND FRESH CORRIANDER (AND FRESH MINT IF AVAILABLE)
• OFFER WITH PRAYER TO THE SUPREME
• ENJOY AND RELISH THE PRASADAM.