Kootenay Kunyi
You may have heard of the easy-to-digest meal called kitchari, but kunyi is even easier on agni. For those of you who are struggling to have an appetite first thing in the morning, or recovering from illness Kunyi is the perfect go-to. It’s grounding/augmenting, light, and nourishing. If you’re sick, I suggest nurturing your agni for the first few days with Kootenay Kunyi. As you begin to recover, you may add a small amount of split mung to the rice to work your way back up to easily digesting a full meal.
As mentioned, Kunyi is also a good option for breakfast (I enjoy it about once or twice a week for agni support) or to calm the sense of taste after a meal out with overpowering spices. Cute garlic breath! I recommend cutting down on the onions and garlic, they are best left for medicinal purposes. You can make a simple Kootenay Kunyi any time agni’s fire ain’t working so good for ya.
As I’ve learned from my teachers. There are many variations of kunyi. The three that come from Ayurvedic texts include Vilepi (the heartiest version), followed by peya and then manda. For someone who is very ill or recovering from surgery, a thinner version will be best. For breakfast on a regular day, a hearty version will serve you best.
I like to add fresh ginger and turmeric to my Kootenay Kunyi to support agni and make it taste delicious, but it also does the job just fine cooked with ghee and mineral salt.
Simple Ayurvedic Recipe: Kunyi
Serves 2
You'll need:
½ cup white basmati rice
2 tsp. ghee
¾ tsp. grated fresh turmeric (or ¼ tsp. powder)
¾ tsp. grated fresh ginger (fresh is best, ginger powder is more heating and drying)
¼ tsp. mineral salt
Water variations
Vilepi: Use 1 cup water
Peya: Use 2 cups water
Manda: Use 3 cups water
Here’s how:
Warm ghee in saucepan or pressure cooker. Add salt, ginger and turmeric and let simmer until fragrant. Add the rice and stir to coat. 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. It is ready when the rice is very soft.
