My easy Kitchari is the comforting and healthy dish you need in your life! Made with a nourishing blend of creamy mung beans and rice, with vibrant spices and a touch of lemon, it's super simple to whip up and loaded with flavor.
Kitchari is the ultimate healthy comfort food. Is this dish new to you? It's a really simple Indian dish made from rice, mung beans, and spices. If you're a fan of dals, like my spinach dal, yellow split pea dal, or red lentil dal, you'll probably love kitchari. But whereas dal is generally made with lentils and other pulses and served over rice, kitchari is more of a porridge that includes the rice.
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I have to admit, I was a little skeptical of kitchari before I tried it myself. Because it's Ayurvedic dish, it's made without any onions or garlic. I thought it would be bland. It's totally not, though! The combination of spices with a little bit of lemon juice make it super flavorful.
The porridge is cooked for long enough to break down the rice and beans, giving it a creamy texture similar to my split pea and basmati rice soup. This makes it super comforting and easy to digest. Kitchari is a great dish to cook up when you're feeling a little sluggish or under the weather, which so many of us are this time of year!
Ingredients You'll Need
- Dried split mung beans. These may be labelled as moong dal or mung dal. Many grocery stores will sell them in the international aisle. If you can't find them there, try an Indian market. Other beans and pulses may work in this recipe, although I've only tested it with mung beans. If you'd like an alternative, split red lentils, split pigeon peas, and yellow split peas are all worth a try.
- Basmati rice. Other types of rice should work fine in this recipe, though brown rice might require some extra cooking time. I definitely recommend going with basmati if possible. It will give your kitchari the best flavor and a wonderful aroma.
- Vegetable oil. Traditional kitchari is made with ghee, but we're using oil to keep this version vegan. Just about any neutral high-heat oil will work. Coconut oil, canola oil, corn oil, and avocado oil are a few that you can try.
- Fresh ginger.
- Spices. We're using a mix of whole and ground spices. You might need to take a trip to the Indian grocery store to get some of them, unless you prefer to order them online. It's worth it though! The spices are where the flavor is at. You'll need whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, ground cumin, turmeric, and black pepper.
- Water.
- Lemon juice. Definitely use freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe.
- Salt.
- Fresh cilantro.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Start by rinsing your mung beans and rice by placing them together in a strainer, then holding it under cold running water for a minute or so. This will not only clean the ingredients, but also rinse away some excess starch.
Step 2: Heat some oil in a pot, then add the ginger and all of your spices. Sauté everything for just a minute, stirring the whole time.
Step 3: Now add your mung beans and rice. Stir everything well and continue to cook the mixture for about a minute.
Step 4: Add your water to the pot and raise the heat. Bring the liquid to a boil.
Step 5: Now lower the heat and cover the pot. Let the mixture simmer for about forty-five minutes.
Step 6: Your kitchari is done cooking when the rice and mung beans have broken down and the mixture is thick and creamy. Take the pot off of heat at this point and stir in lemon juice, salt to taste, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Step 7: Divide the kitchari into bowls and dig in! Optionally, you can top each one with some additional fresh cilantro and provide a bowl of lemon wedges on the side.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover kitchari will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. You can reheat it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. The beans and rice will continue to soak up water as it sits in the fridge, so you may find that it has thickened up a bit. You can add more water when you reheat it if you'd like, but keep in mind that just heating it up will loose it a bit.
Variations
- Vegetable kitchari. Some kitchari recipes include veggies, and you're welcome to add them here. Chop them up finely before adding them. Harder veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots will take ten to twenty minutes to soften up, so add them while the kitchari simmers. Tender greens like spinach can be added during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Garlic and onions. While traditional kitchari doesn't include these aromatics, you can certainly add them to your version of the dish if you'd like. Diced onion can be cooked in the vegetable oil for about five minutes before you add your spices. The garlic should be minced and can be added at the same time as the spices.
- Switch up the spices. I love the spice blend I've included in this recipe, and I recommend using it at least the first time you make the dish. After that, feel free to experiment with additional or different spices, such as garam masala, cinnamon (ground or sticks), cloves, (whole or sticks), coriander (ground or seeds), cardamom (whole or seeds), and asafoetida, also known as hing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is!
Nope! Some people like to soak these ingredients to help remove the starch and start softening them up, and you can certainly do that if you'd like. I never do though, and don't find it necessary.
Usually this means the spices burned. Make sure to stir constantly in steps 2 and 3 of the recipe, keep the heat at medium, and only sauté them for about a minute.
More Indian Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Easy Kitchari
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried split mung beans, also known as moong dal or mung dal
- ¾ cup basmati rice
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- ½ tesapoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 7 cups water, plus up to one additional cup, if needed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt, to taste (I use 2 teaspoons)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For Serving (optional)
- Additional fresh cilantro
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Place the mung beans and rice into a fine mesh strainer and rinse them well under cold running water. Set them aside for now.
- Coat the bottom of a medium pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the ginger, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, ground cumin, ground turmeric, and black pepper. Cook the spices in the hot oil for about one minute, stirring constantly to prevent them from burning.
- Add the mung beans and rice to the pot. Stir everything up well and toast the beans and rice for about one minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the water. Raise the heat to high and bring it to a boil.
- Lower the heat so that the mixture is just cooking at a low simmer, then cover the pot. Let the mixture simmer while covered for about 45 minutes. Check on it every so often and give it a stir. It's done cooking when the bean and rice have broken down and created a creamy mixture (Note 1).
- Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and cilantro.
- Divide into bowls. Optionally top with additional cilantro and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Feel free to add additional water if the mixture is too thick for your liking. I recommend heating up the water first so it doesn't cool down the kitchari.
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Thanks for my new go-to kitchari recipe Alissa! So easy and delicious! I love the addition of the lemon.