Easy Kitchari
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.
Servings: 6
Calories: 314kcal
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 807mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg