Kitchari is a delicious Ayurvedic one-pot meal made with dal, rice, and spices. It’s rich in protein and fiber, comforting, and very easy to digest.
How’s January 2022 going for you so far? Hopefully you’ve had some time to reflect on the blessing of 2021 and had time to call in what you would like to call into this new year. Let’s keep manifesting and praying.
For me, different year, same mission: optimal health and wellness for myself and all my people.
So in honor of healthy living and clean eating, here’s my recipe for Instant Pot Kitchari. It’s a dish I make regularly because it’s so healing and comforting, especially during these cold winter months.
What is Kitchari?
Kitchari (pronounced kich-uh-ree) is the traditional cleansing food of Ayurveda. It’s made with a combination of mung dal, basmati rice, and spices. Kitchari is considered to be a healing food for all 3 Ayurvedic constitutions or doshas. The spices used depend on your personal dosha.
9 Reasons I Love Kitchari
❤️ easy to digest…..
Both the white basmati rice and split mung dal are easy to digest, making this dish a great way to give your digestion a little break. I recommend soaking the mung dal for a few hours before cooking it to make it even easier on the belly.
❤️ complete protein…
The combination of rice and mung dal provides all the amino acids needed to form a complete protein. The protein content of kitchari supports balanced energy and stable blood sugar levels so you can continue to have vitality, a balance mood, and mental clarity if you are using it while you cleanse.
❤️ improves digestion….
Our digestive fire is called Agni in Ayurveda. In the West, we call it our metabolism. Most of us know that our metabolic health (or Agni) is cucial to optimal wellness.
Having strong agni means we can digest, assimilate, and absorb nutrients from our food in a good way. Malabsorption and accumulation of waste in the body happens when the agni is weak or imbalanced.
The spices in kitchari (like ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, fenugreek, fennel, clove, etc) are known to boost agni. I have my own combination that I like. Feel free to use whichever of these spices that you love.
❤️ great for cleansing the digestive tract…
Mung dal is considered to be astringent (or dry), meaning it has a natural pulling quality that it helps to clean up mucus and congestion from the digestive tract. With over 15 grams of fiber per cup serving, split mung beans are very helpful in moving waste and toxins out of the colon once we loosen them up.
❤️ healing food…
Mung dal is the perfect food choice when recovering from sickness, the flu, fevers, dehydration, diarrhea, or post-surgery when the digestive strength may be compromised. It is easy on the digestive system and helps gradually improve digestion without burdening the digestive tract.
❤️ easy to make….
Once you make it once, you will LOVE how easy it is to throw together. Making it in the Instant Pot is the way to go if you have one. I’ve included the stove top recipe in the recipe card as well.
❤️ budget-friendly…..
Who doesn’t want to save money on clean eating? Making kitchari doesn’t cost very much and is a great way to feed a crowd.
❤️ very versatile…
The recipe I am sharing today is my basic recipe. You can add whatever vegetables you like to the pot, and it will be even more hearty and tasty. Some suggestions are cauliflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, kale,or peas.
❤️ so delicious….
Last but nor least, kitchari is so dang tasty. It’s so easy to customize with you favorite spices and is totally kid-friendly. Feel free to experiment to see what your people like.
What if I can’t find mung dal?
Mung or moong dal is the split version (which is yellow) of the whole mung bean. It s a staple across the Indian subcontinent and other parts of Asia. Not every health food store carries mung dal, but you can use red lentils as a substitution. Or order mung dal online.
What spices can I use?
My basic recipe is a simple one-pot dish that is suitable for everyone. It’s mild yet flavorful. Feel free to experiment with other spices like:
- coriander
- fenugreek
- cinnamon
- fennel
- clove
- black pepper
Can I add vegetables?
Yes, as I mentioned above. Feel free to add whatever veggies you like. Some suggestions are:
- cauliflower
- sweet potato
- carrots
- kale
- peas
I don’t usually add my vegetables to my kitchari. I prefer to serve it over steamed vegetables that I cook separately. But you do you… ????
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Instant Pot Kitchari
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
Description
Kitchari is a delicious Ayurvedic one-pot meal made with dal, rice, and spices. It’s rich in protein and fiber, comforting, and very easy to digest.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mung dal (or red lentils) (like THIS or THIS), soaked for 4-8 hours
- 3/4 cup basmati rice (like this)
- 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- 3/4 tsp mustard seeds (like this)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 5 cups of water, bone broth, or healing mineral broth
- 1–2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- salt to taste
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- ghee or coconut oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Rinse both the soaked mung dal and rice very well and set aside.
- Turn Instant Pot onto SAUTE mode and add 2 tbsp of ghee or coconut oil. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and cumin powder and stir continually for about 1 minute until spices are fragrant. Be sure to not let them burn.
- Pour in 5 cups of water or broth plus lentils, rice, fresh ginger, turmeric, ginger powder, and cardamom. Lock lid on IP and turn the vent valve to “sealing.” Cook on HIGH pressure for 6 minutes. Allow to slow release for 10 minutes then release the pressure fully.
- Add salt to taste. Stir in more water or broth if you prefer a soupier consistency. Serve immediately garnished with fresh cilantro and a dollop of ghee or coconut oil on top.
Notes
I recommend soaking lentils for at least 4 hours to make them MORE digestible.
Cooking the mustard seeds and cumin really brings out the flavor so don’t skip this step.
I usually use a mixture of half water and half broth to add a nice flavor to my dish.
I prefer my kitchari on the soupy side so I usually stir in a bit of hot water before serving. If you prefer a thicker mixture, you can experiment with reducing water/broth just a bit until you get your perfect consistency.
Adding a dollop of ghee or coconut oil on top and allowing it to melt all over the top is like the icing on the cake. Trust me. So delicious. Learn to make your own ghee HERE.
Stove Top Kitchari
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup mung dal (or red lentils) (like THIS or THIS), soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight
- 3/4 cup basmati rice (like this)
- 2 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- 3/4 tsp mustard seeds (like this)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 6 cups of water, bone broth, or healing mineral broth
- 1–2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1/8 tsp cardamom powder
- salt to taste
- fresh cilantro for garnish
- ghee or coconut oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Rinse both the soaked mung dal and rice very well and set aside.
- Melt 2 tbsp of ghee or coconut oil in a medium pot. When oil is hot, add mustard seeds and cumin powder and stir continually for about 1-2 minute until spices are fragrant. Be sure to not let them burn.
- Pour in 6 cups of water or broth plus mung dal, rice, fresh ginger, turmeric, ginger powder, and cardamom. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and allow to simmer slowly for 25-35 minutes, covered, until dal is tender. Halfway through cooking, add more water/broth if too thick OR remove lid if too soupy. Be mindful that kitchari doesn’t burn on the bottom.
- Salt to taste. Serve immediately garnished with fresh cilantro and a dollop of ghee or coconut oil on top.
Notes
Kitchari cooks best in a heavy bottom pan.
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Greetings! I have a big bag of Toor Dal that I purchased at Costco and I haven’t made anything with it yet as I’m not sure what to do with it. Would it work for this recipe, and if so, what modifications might be needed? Thank you!
I haven’t tried it with Toor Dal but I’m guessing it will work out just fine. I use red lentils when I don’t have mung dal. You may need to adjust the water ratio a bit once you make the recipe and see how it cooks. Please report back if you try it.
I have made this recipe a few times now, experimenting with a couple different spices. My daughter, who has an allium allergy, can eat it and loves it. I was surprised because she doesn’t like many spice flavors, and she liked this recipe just as is the best. I’m so happy for her to get so much nutrition density because she is pretty limited with food choices that don’t bother her stomach. I have also made it with red lentils and don’t notice much of a flavor difference. I’ll be keeping some kitchari in the fridge every week. Thanks for the idea and the recipe!!
I am so happy to hear that. My daughter LOVES this recipe too. She could eat it every day for breakfast. 🙂