This kitchari recipe is easy to make and super healthy. Incorporating it into your diet will help with your gut health, digestion, and inflammation, among other things.
Lately I’ve been prioritizing taking care of my gut health. Resetting and nourishing my digestive system has been a big goal of mine, and I’ve noticed instant results. It’s stunning how much better I feel when my gut health is being cared for.
One thing that’s really helped me? Kitchari. I’ve worked kitchari into my diet with regularity. I have it all the time, and sometimes even do a kitchari cleanse, where I eat it for both lunch and dinner following an oatmeal breakfast.
My go-to kitchari recipe not only makes me feel healthy and peaceful, but it’s delicious, too. There’s so much flavor from the spices, and the dal is hearty and healing.
What is Kitchari?
Kitchari is an essential part of an Ayurvedic diet. It’s traditionally a blend of basmati rice and mung dal, which is a split version of whole mung beans. These two hearty and comforting foods are combined with healing vegetables and lots of spices to create a dish that has balancing properties for all three doshas. Kitchari is a staple of Ayurvedic living, as it nourishes the body, mind, and spirit.
Kitchari uses a strong and unique blend of spices that are meant to not only add flavor, but also balance the doshas. A good kitchari recipe will feature warming spices, detoxifying spices, and anti-inflammatory spices … and it will taste delicious!
One of the keys to making kitchari is to use some whole spices. These add a stronger, and more fresh flavor to the dish, which has a porridge-like consistency.
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you need to make this easy and healing kitchari dish. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the article for the exact amounts of each ingredient.
- Coconut oil
- Brown mustard seeds
- Fennel seeds
- Cumin seeds
- Fenugreek seeds
- Ground turmeric
- Ground ginger
- Ground coriander
- Ground cumin
- Sea salt
- Black pepper – For best results, use freshly-ground black pepper.
- Garlic
- Onion – Shallots will work fine for this recipe.
- Mung dal – You can also use golden lentils if you prefer.
- White basmati rice
- Vegetables – Nearly any vegetables will work with this recipe.
- Vegetable broth
- Water
- Bay leaves
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is an optional garnish.
- Coconut yogurt – Coconut yogurt is also an optional garnish.
How to Make Kitchari
Here’s how to make this detoxing and anti-inflammatory dish. It’s very easy!
- Toast the spices. Add the oil to a pot or dutch oven and heat. Add all of the spices except the bay leaves, and cook until they become aromatic, which should take 2-3 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the pot, and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add the mung dal, basmati rice, and vegetables to the pot, and stir to combine with the spices. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, add the bay leaves, and stir until everything is mixed together.
- Cook. Bring the kitchari to a boil, then lower the heat and put a lid on the pot. Simmer the kitchari for about an hour.
- Serve. After the hour, take the lid off the pot, stir the kitchari, check the seasonings and texture, and make any necessary adjustments. Then serve the kitchari in bowls, garnishing with optional cilantro and coconut yogurt.
Tips and Variations
Kitchari is a recipe that you can easily play with. You can adjust it to make it your own. The goal of kitchari is to be healing, balancing, and gentle on your digestive system. Here are some tips and variations that you can try' to get the most out of your recipe.
- Change the vegetables. Everybody craves different vegetables, and everybody’s body reacts differently to various veggies. You can use any vegetables you want in this recipe, so have fun trying new flavor combinations, and experimenting until you find the vegetables that make your gut health feel its absolute best.
- Use lentils. Mung dal is the traditional base for this recipe, and it’s my favorite. But it can be fun to mix it up and try making this recipe with various types of lentils instead.
- Wash your rice. Make sure to wash your basmati rice before adding it to the pot. Washing the rice rinses off some of the starch, which will keep your kitchari from becoming gummy and lumpy.
- Use homemade broth. You can add a boost of flavor to this recipe by making your own homemade vegetable broth. Homemade broth is always better than what you’ll find in the store, and my recipe for Instant Pot mushroom vegan bone broth goes brilliantly with the spices in this kitchari.
- Adjust the texture. Just as with porridge or oatmeal, everybody has a different preferred texture for kitchari. Once it’s done cooking, see if you like the texture. If it’s too runny for you, keep cooking it until it’s the right consistency. If it’s too thick for you, then add some more water or vegetable broth until it’s perfect.
- Use an Instant Pot. This recipe is super easy as is, but if you have an Instant Pot it can get even easier. To make kitchari in the instant pot, heat all of the spices on the sauté setting. Then add the rest of the ingredients, and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. It’s that simple!
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Kitchari
Kitchari stores well and easily. Keep it in an airtight container, and it will last in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can quickly reheat it in the microwave in 30-second increments at 80% power until it’s heated all the way through.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can freeze kitchari to ensure that you have an amazing gut health food in your freezer whenever you need it. Store it in an airtight bag in the freezer for up to 3 months, and thaw or defrost fully before reheating.
More Recipes That Are Good for Your Gut Health
Kitchari is one of my favorite recipes for taking care of my gut health. Here are a few of my other favorites.
- Vegan Mushroom Bone Broth
- Easy Vegan Red Lentil Dal
- Anti-Inflammatory Ginger & Turmeric Carrot Soup
- One Pot Vegetable Chickpea Curry
Kitchari Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (about 2 – 3 cloves)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (or shallot)
- 2 cups split mung bean dahl (or golden lentils)
- 1 cup white basmati rice
- 3 – 5 cups chopped vegetables*
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- Cilantro & coconut yogurt to garnish (if desired)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven. Once melted, add the spices. Cook the spices in the oil until they start to become quite aromatic, about 2 – 3 minutes. From there add the garlic and onion/shallots and cook another 2 minutes or so.
- Add the beans, rice and veggies and give it a quick stir to ensure the spices are evenly coating the rest of the ingredients. Pour in the liquids and stir in the bay leaves.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cover and cook for about an hour. Remove the lid, give the mixture a good stir and add a touch more liquid if desired.
- When ready to serve, portion out between bowls. Top with cilantro and coconut yogurt if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
It is a gut saver.
I’m having a hard time finding brown mustard seeds. Any suggestions for a possible substitute?
Hey! This looks perfect for my wife who will be giving birth to twins next month. Want to make it for her postpartum. I see instant pot directions, is there any chance this could be made with a slow cooker? Our stove is old and doesn’t simmer very well, hard to keep a slow constant temp. Would love your feedback, thank you!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Great to use up any veggies. Added frozen spinach which just blends in. The whole house smells amazing!
This is really good. I’ve had authentic kitchari before and I’ve tried to make it; this recipe has just the right perfectly moist, fluffy texture. I like how it’s flexible, ie I omitted the onion and fenugreek because I didn’t have them. I used coriander seeds instead and had to use fresh ginger. The kitchen smelled very fragrant. I ate a lot and could keep eating!
This is a great recipe but it’s overly complicated compared to most traditional kichari, plus garlic and onions defeat a lot of the gut cleansing properties. I suggest making it with water instead of vegetable broth and leave out any garlic, onions or alliums for maximum effect.
Incredible! Such amazing in depth flavor! Love, love this! So good for you!!
Great recipe! Loved the flavor. I cooked it in an Instant Pot, and it turned out great. We used fresh ginger instead of ground and olive instead of coconut oil because it’s what we had on hand. Veggies used: broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and carrots. Also added Pomi chopped tomatoes. Topped with organic whole milk Greek yogurt from pasture-raised cows, cilantro, and lemon. I ate it for lunch and dinner for 4 days and enjoyed it every time.
My tummy was happy. I found that it really was easy to digest.
Thank you for this recipe!! This was my first time to make and try Kitchari, and now I’m hooked!
This sounds delicious, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for leaving a review 🙂
Made this tonight for dinner- absolutely outstanding 🤩. Swapped out a cup of veg broth for a tin of coconut milk, which made it super creamy. Thanks Alyssa – delicious. Plenty left for lunch and tea tomorrow too. 👍🏻
Can you substitute the whole cumin seeds for ground cumin seed? And the fenugreek seeds for ground fenugreek? I know whole is preferable but that’s what I already have.
Sure! You might not need to cook them as long in step, you want them to be aromatic but not burnt
Hi! What veggies did you use?
cauliflower, zucchini, and carrots
heey, what could be used instead of oat’s in the morning? by eating oat or buckwheat our body produce melatonin which makes us sleepy. ideally should we eat those in the evening . best greetings,
this would be a great breakfast recipe for you then, there are no oats or buckwheat in it! Other good options are chia pudding, quinoa cereal, eggs or a smoothie.
This recipe is FABULOUS!! I’ve had a “sour stomach” for weeks and haven’t wanted to eat much. This recipe immediately calmed the queasy feeling. The spices are not overwhelming and its quite filling. Next time I will halve the recipe except for the vegetables as it was quite a lot for a single person ( thank goodness for freezing). Ty so much for this, Alyssa!!
Of course! Thank you so much for the kind review! I hope your stomach starts to feel better <3
Seems like a KHICHDI. Ditch the coconut oil and white rice. Use equal parts red lentils and millet.
Seems like a KHICHDI
Is another word for Golden Lentil, the “red lentil”??? Can I use the red lentil???
Yes, you can use red lentils!
I just made this following the recipe and adding everything ~ it really hit the spot and I will make it again and again. Spices are perfect!
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s one of my go-to recipes!
hi, i wanted to ask whether i can use quinoa instead of the rice and whether this will affect the amount of liquid i have to add?
I think you could yes! It should really affect the liquid 🙂
OMG! These recipe is absolutely delicious . I am doing kitcharie cleanse rn but i always make it very soupy and was in the mood for a different style. I followed the instructions and my mind is blown rn on how good this is. I didnt have bay leaves so i just added cinnamon bark. And Geeeesssssuuussss !!!! Very surprised thank you for this post and for saving my detox . I def can eat this for days n days.
Yayyyy! So so happy you enjoyed! I’d love for you to leave a star rating if you haven’t already 😉 xox
Really delicious – felt a bit worried about all the spice but it was not overpowering just aromatic and delicious- we added cauliflower spinach carrots and broccoli and about twice the garlic and onion- will make again for sure
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Alyssa:
I love looking through your recipes. I’ve only been on you site for a few days, but I have so many recipes I want to try already, I don’t know which to do first. I do have a request though. I’m currently working with a physical trainer who is a stickler for my nutrition information whenever we meet. I like that you include your nutritional values for most recipes, but I rarely have a good vision for what a serving size will be. For example the Kitchari recipe says 8 servings, but until I make it, I don’t really understand how big a serving truly is. Is there a rule of thumb for estimating?
For these kind of recipes, I usually use about 1.5 cups 🙂
Hi Alyssa,
thanks for the recepy can I use normal yellow mung? do I have to soak it or just use it ? and can we use dal instead mung?
I think the two are pretty different so I’m not 100% sure. I’d say you’d probably want to soak it first so it speeds up the cooking process. You might also need to increase the liquid 🙂
Any suggestions for how to adapt this for a crockpot
I would just cook it like a chili! But you’ll want one that has a saute option so you get a bit more flavor 🙂
Nice recipe but Kitchari really shouldn’t have onions or garlic in it, they sort of defeat the purpose of the dish according to Ayurveda.
Feel free to leave it out if you want 🙂
I’m so excited to try this recipe tonight! I just realized (being a total newbie) that the mung beans bag say they should be soaked overnight. I definitely missed this step, is it necessary or do they cook up just fine in the kitchari without a pre-soak? Thanks!
Update: I chickened out and just bought some split Moong Dal beans, and with no prior soaking they worked perfectly. I loved this recipe. I used broccoli, zucchini, carrots and Definitely a mushy dish, lol, but the aromas in my kitchen were gorgeous and the flavors were unique. I preferred it with the coconut yogurt mixed in and I added salt after it was cooked because I completely missed adding the sea salt in during cooking. My gut was happy too, no bloating or discomfort after eating. i’m having this for lunch, too.
I’m so so glad you enjoyed it!! Love the additions you made 🙂 And it really does make the best lunch! I can’t wait to make this when I’m back from my trip in Mexico 🙂 It’s one of my favorites!
Hi would mung beans work (not split) as they are all I have?
I haven’t tested it, so I’m not totally sure!
Emma, I’m curious if you tried these and they worked!
Hi Alyssa, I made the Kitchari yesterday and it is amazing! I knew it would be the kind of dish I would like. Our local YMCA has a kitchen where they host lots of demos and cooking classes. They had a woman from Bangladesh cook some Daal Lentil soup and a chicken curry, both were awesome! So when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. Only problem is that mine came out very mushy, maybe I cooked it too long? I cooked it for an hour. But it was still edible and very delicious, I will be eating it all week for lunch!
It’s definitely a mushy dish 🙂 Not like a soup! What veggies did you use? That might have had an impact too 🙂
Hi Alyssa,
The rice used in khidchdi(that’s what it is called) is the local variety and not usually basmati. Basmati is not very digestion friendly. Options of rice to be used could be Kolam or Sona Masuri.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi. Instead of rice we can take same amount of broken wheat/ creaked wheat to make it more healthy and full of fiber. In india we call it khichadi.
I haven’t tried that as I don’t eat wheat. They use white rice because it’s very easy to digest, but feel free to try another grain!
Please note the serving size for the nutritional information. I see your recipe makes 8 servings. What is the size of a prepared serving?
About 1 1/2 cups 🙂