Learn how to prepare Kunyi.

 

The dearest Myra Lewin @Hale_pule prepared a simple Ayurvedic Recipe to restore your agni (digestion) and maintain its balance.

 

 

You may have heard of the easy-to-digest meal kitchari, but kunyi is even softer and more restorative on your agni (digestion). You can make this simple Ayurvedic recipe anytime to keep agni’s fire from smoldering. 

In Ayurveda, agni is our digestive fire and its condition is the main thing that determines our state of health and vitality.

Because Kunyi is so easy to digest and nourishing, it frees up energy for your body to focus on recovery. Kunyi is very simple and light in taste so it balances out other meals that may be richer and heavier in spices, it’s also the go-to dish for someone who is ill or has just given birth.

 

 

There are three variations of Kunyi that come from the Ayurvedic texts. Vilepi is the heartiest version, followed by peya and then manda.  For someone who is unwell, a thinner version will be best. A hearty version will serve you well for breakfast on a regular day to stoke the fire.

Hence, Kunyi is also ideal to support a woman's body during menstruation.

A woman’s period is her natural ability to cleanse on a monthly basis. Consider it one of your superpowers. Bringing yourself into alignment with your cycles in a way that reflects a healthy and balanced routine will give you more space and freedom to enjoy life with plenty of energy. 

 

 

In Ayurveda, moderation is key. Overly restricting or deprivation  is considered tamasic. One of the three gunas, tamas is a Ved term that's qualities are inertia, inactivity, dullness, and lethargy. Including Kunyi in a supportive meal routine that accommodates your feminine cycles takes the opportunity to flush out toxins, bringing you more vitality and a stronger digestive fire in general. 

A woman’s period is not an illness but is a time to slow down, rest and allow the body to reset. The diet, lifestyle, herbs, and practices observed during the approximate 28-day cycle determine how a woman experiences her period. If there is excess or disregard for balanced living anywhere in the cycle, an imbalance may manifest before, during or ever right after the period when the body is flushing out impurities.  

So the bottom line: Kunyi is the go-to-dish to balance and reestablish harmony in your body when you feel it needs extra support.

 

 

Kunyi for breakfast 

Kunyi is a soupy rice cooked with mild spices, mineral salt and ghee. Kunyi is gently warming and light to digest; kindling our agni and enhancing digestive function.

Myra shared that at Hale Pule, they like to add fresh ginger and turmeric to their kunyi to support agni and make it taste delicious, but it’s also effective cooked with just ghee and mineral salt.

Three variations are offered in this recipe that comes from the Ayurvedic texts. Vilepi is the heartiest version, followed by peya and then manda.  

 

Ingredients:

1. ½ cup white basmati rice
2. 2 tsp. ghee
3. ¾ tsp. grated fresh turmeric (or ¼ tsp. powder)
4. ¾ tsp. grated fresh ginger (fresh is best, ginger powder is more heating and drying)
5. ¼ tsp. mineral salt

 

Water variations:

• Vilepi: Use 1 cup water
• Peya: Use 2 cups water
• Manda: Use 3 cups water

 

 

Method:

1. Warm  ghee in saucepan or pressure cooker. 
2. Add salt, ginger and turmeric and  let simmer until fragrant. 
3. Add the rice and stir to coat. 
4. Add the water and cover. If using a pressure cooker, bring to pressure and lower heat  to cook for 12-15 minutes at pressure. If using a regular pot, bring to a  boil, then lower heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. 
5. It is ready  when the rice is very soft. 

 

 

If you crave chocolate during your period, have a listen to the #askHalePule miniseries on Hale Pule’s Everyday Ayurveda and Yoga podcast where they dive into this frequently asked question. 

When it comes to recommending recipes, Hale Pule has been sharing the balance bowl formula with thousands of clients for decades. This simple and profound tridoshic approach to meals and eating can be applied to any cuisine and even used as a touchstone when eating out. 

Enjoy xx