A chat about our journey so far and our kitchari Recipe

We had a chat with I love linen about our journey so far and what we have planned for the future. We also share our kitchari recipe, a nourishing Ayurvedic dish.

Question: Can you share a little about how Burbury Whole Foods began and your journey to get where you are today?

Answer: "Burbury Whole Foods has evolved a lot since it first began 6 years ago."

"I spent my early 20's travelling, studying fine art and cheffing in restaurants and retreats around the world. I really believe that my art background led me to food because the ingredients became my paint."

" We began Burbury Whole Foods at our local farmers market where we sold avocado toast with all the toppings. Even back then we always had a focus on showing off incredible produce of the area. It was a lot of fun, especially when my fiance Tom joined. Once we combined forces we started  catering as well as the markets. When COVID hit naturally it all stopped. We were fortunate in the sense that it gave us space to find clarity on where we going and what we wanted to do."

"That's when we created our first cookbook. Anything's Possible, launched our own cooking retreats and decided to specialise in retreat catering. It enable us to continue to inspire people to connect with their food in a meaningful way and give people the tools to make conscious decisions around food and sustainability. "

Question: Have you always been passionate about food and celebrating beautiful organic produce?

Answer: "Food has always been a big part of my life. My mother is an incredible cook and I was brought up on delicious food."

"It wasn't until I was working in an organic cafe in Whistler, Canada, where I saw first hand what it means to have amazing organic produce, locally grown and how that impacts the flavour of the dishes."

"Now, it is something we really pride ourselves on, sourcing and finding the best local farmers and suppliers. Our role as chefs is to collaborate with the best suppliers to find the most sustainable ingredients. Really when you buy good ingredients, all the hard work is done for you and we just try our best to show if off. We now have close to 30 different suppliers and it's still growing."

Question: Can you share a little about how you came up with this incredible recipe?

Answer: "Kitchari, one of Tom's personal favourites, is a staple in India and Ayurveda. When we were travelling in India, I studied Ayurveda, this is where a lot of our philoshopy around food comes from and where I learnt about the wonders of Kitchari."

"Kitchari is a balancing comfort food filled with fibre, protein and complex carbohydrates. It is often given as a Ayurvedic remedy to people who need rejuvenation from chronic exhaustion, poor digestion, or an over-toxic system. This healing dish offers warmth and spices that restore wellness and provide vital nourishment."

"This kitchari is on our dinner plate (or bowl) at least once a week. We love how it tastes and how we both feel after. It's the perfect end to the day and a great way to make sure you wake up energised for the next. We always make a big pot of it so we have healthy meals throughout the week."

Kitchari Recipe

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"Kitchari is a balancing comfort food filled with fibre, protein and complex carbohydrates. It is often given as a Ayurvedic remedy to people who need rejuvenation from chronic exhaustion, poor digestion, or an over-toxic system. This healing dish offers warmth and spices that restore wellness and provide vital nourishment."

Ingredients

• 2 cups basmati rice

• 2 cups chana dal or moong dal

• 3 tbsp fresh ginger, grated with skin on

• 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil

• 1 tbsp fresh tumeric, grated with skin on

• 2 Dutch cream potatoes (400g), medium cubes with skin on

• 1 Sweet potato (400g) medium cubes with skin on

• 2 cups Kale (100g), finely chopped

• 1 lime, to make 2 tbsp of juice and 1 tsp of zest

• 2 tbsp tamari, plus extra to serve

Dried Spices

• 12 cardamon pods

• 2 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• 1/s tsp caraway seeds

• 1/s tsp pepper

To Serve

• Coconut yoghurt or plain yoghurt

• Lime wedges

• Coriander leaves

  Method

  1. Soak rice and dal for 4-8 hours in filtered water. Rinse well. In a mortar and pestle, grind the dried spices.

  2. In a large pot, add the dried spices, ginger, ghee and turmeric. Cook on medium heat. Stir for 1-2 minutes to release the flavours from the spices.

  3. Place rice and dal into the pot. Fry off for further 3 minutes.

  4. Add 8 cups of water, potatoes and sweet potato. Bring to the boil then simmer for 30-40 minutes, until it becomes a porridge consistency.

  5. Once cooked, stir through kale, lime juice, zest and tamari.

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