KITCHARI WITH CAVOLO NERO, LEMON, ONION AND CAPERS
I’ve been really enjoying cavolo nero fresh from the garden these past few years. For anyone with even a little patch of ground I really recommend growing it. I have about eight cavolo nero plants which I harvest weekly, plucking the dark green leaves from the bottom up, from early Autumn through to April, always leaving some green growth at the top of the plant to keep it going. The young leaves are quick to cook and absolutely delicious. And the plants themselves look wonderfully prehistoric in the garden, especially when there is not much else happening in the winter months. It’s a hardy plant that withstands frosts (in fact the frost is said to improve the flavour) as they slowly get taller and start to resemble palms. It’s not the easiest vegetable to find in a regular supermarket but definitely look out for it at local farmers markets at this time of year. Otherwise you can substitute kale, chard, spinach, spring greens or cabbage.
Being Vata in nature - cold, rough, dry and heavy to digest - cooking cavolo nero and similar greens in fats and teaming with Pitta accompaniments such as garlic and onion is a good idea. The addition of nutmeg makes this feel like an Italian style dish. Its warming qualities help balance the cool, dry qualities of Vata and cool, damp properties of Kaph, while its sharpness and warmth increases Pitta. Sprinkle over some tangy, Kapha-pacifying capers to stimulate appetite and digestion and to elevate this humble dish, and a splash of lemon juice to brighten the flavours.
As well as being super easy to digest and providing all the amino acids needed to form a complete protein, kitchari offers a versatile base to your favourite toppings and sides. For bigger appetites increase the rice to a half cup.
METHOD
Rinse the mung dal and rice until the water runs clear.
Add to a pot with the water, bay, turmeric and hing, and bring to the boil.
Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, lid on, for 30 minutes or more until soft and completely tender, stirring occasionally. Once the kitchari is cooked and tender, adjust to a porridge consistency by stirring in freshly boiled water, and season with the salt and pepper.
While the kitchari is cooking:
rinse the capers well in lukewarm water, dry on paper towels and set aside.
Heat the ghee in a pan on medium heat and add the finely sliced onion and minced garlic. Saute for a minute while gently breaking up the onion slices and then add the cavolo nero. Saute for a few minutes, until the greens are tender and the onion is translucent.
Add the capers, a tiny pinch of nutmeg and squeeze over some lemon juice. Give everything a stir and check the flavours. If it’s a bit too astringent or bitter for your taste add a little maple syrup or coconut sugar.
Serve the cavolo nero on top of the plated kitchari or mix straight into the kitchari for an easy bowl of comfort food. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with freshly ground black pepper and have the nutmeg and grater to hand so that people can add nutmeg to taste.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 2
For the kitchari base:
½ cup/90g mung dal
⅓ cup/60g white basmati rice
1 bay leaf (optional)
3 cups (750ml) water
¼ tsp turmeric
A pinch of hing/asafoetida (optional)
¼ tsp sea salt
For the vegetable topping:
1/2 tbsp ghee/extra virgin olive oil
100g cavolo nero
1 small red onion
2 small cloves of garlic
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
1 tbs capers in salt*
Pinch sea salt to taste
Juice of half a lemon
Good grind of black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil to serve
East by West tip:
If digestion is poor, swap the quantities of mung dal and rice around so that the dish has more rice
*If using capers in brine, no need to rinse, just drain.
