Kitchari is a traditional Ayurvedic dish that has been enjoyed in India for centuries. This simple, yet nourishing meal is made by cooking together rice, mung beans, and a variety of spices and vegetables.

What is kitchari?

In Hindi, Kitchari means 'mixture' and it's a traditional Ayurvedic dish that typically consists of mung dal (split mung beans) and white basmati rice, flavored with herbs and spices, and cooked with vegetables of your choice.

It's the ultimate comfort food that can be easily made at home. Although any meal made with rice and beans can be called Kitchari, traditionally, it's made with mung daal, which is split with their husks removed, making it highly digestible and non-gassy.

Cultures across the globe, from Mexico to India, have combined rice and beans for thousands of years to obtain a complete plant-based protein. Kitchari is highly recommended as a healing food for people with digestive issues or those who want to reset their digestive system.

History of Kitchari

Kitchari originated in ancient India as a healing food, which was a part of Ayurvedic practices. Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine that has been in practice in India for over 5,000 years, and it prioritizes maintaining harmony and balance between the body, mind, and spirit. Ayurveda considers Kitchari a Sattvic food, meaning it is pure, nourishing, and clean for both the body and mind.

The ingredients used in Kitchari, such as rice and lentils, have been a staple of Indian cuisine for thousands of years. The combination of rice and lentils provides a complete protein, making it a popular food for vegetarians and vegans. Kitchari was also commonly used as a cleansing food during religious festivals and as a medicinal food to aid digestion.

Why do spices work?

Spices are the difference between a tasty meal and a bland one and between healthy and poor digestion. A well-spiced dish digests better than a bland one.

Just as spices stimulate the tongue, spices also stimulate the stomach. The tongue is a mirror of the digestive tract.

Asafoetida, also called hing, is a sharp and heating spice that stimulates the tongue. As with all spices, hing not only makes food more interesting - it also has many health-promoting qualities. Hing assists digestion, soothes spasms, and prevents gas. The spice's pungency stimulates the body to increase blood flow and gastric juices to the intestines. The extra juice and enhanced blood flow improve your digestion in the process.

Reach for spices enthusiastically, but remember: Too much spice is harsh and can leave a burning feeling in the intestines. Be aware of your body's reaction to spices. Those with ulcers or inflammation will not benefit from an ingredient with the spicy strength of hing, but it is helpful for those with sluggish digestion.

Lentils & Rice

You do not need to soak the yellow mung bean lentils overnight. Simply, give them a good wash. White basmati rice is traditionally used for making Kitchari as this is easier on the digestive system than brown rice.

You can read more about lentils and their uses here on our blog.

yellow-mung-beans-for-making-kitchari — Yellow split mung bean lentils

basmati-rice-for-making-kitchari — Basmati rice

Why does kitchari heal?

Here are 3 main reasons why eating kitchari is a powerful way to heal naturally:

1. Kitchari is a balanced meal

Rice, mung beans, and vegetables offer balanced nourishment for your body.

Kitchari is a balanced meal because it contains both augmenting and extractive foods. Rice, which is augmenting, has a sweet taste. It helps to build tissues, calms vata dosha, supports the digestion of other food, and forms the bulk of the stool (thereby easing elimination).

Mung beans, which are extractive, help the body to cleanse and detoxify because their bitter and astringent tastes extract toxins. For optimal digestion, you want to include 60% rice and 40% mung beans in your kitchari

For variety, you can also include an augmenting and an extractive vegetable.

2. Kitchari is satiating

By including digestive spices, like ginger, turmeric, cumin, and coriander, the meal becomes cleansing, balanced and satisfying. When you are properly satiated on a regular basis, your food cravings and impulses to snack will decrease. This will allow your digestion to improve.

3. Kitchari is easily digestible

By gently cooking the ingredients together to a soupy consistency, your digestion doesn’t need to work as hard to break down and assimilate the food. This easily digestible meal gives your body a break to restore the natural strength of Agni, the digestive fire.

How to make Indian Kitchari at home

Here is our step-by-step guide for cooking Kitchari.

ingredients-for-kitchari — Measure all the ingredients for the rice and lentil base.

seasonings-for-kitchari — Assemble the ingredients for finishing the Kitchari.

Rinse-the-rice-and-lentils-under-cold-water-until-it-runs-clear — Rinse the rice and lentils under cold water until it runs clear.

To cook the rice and lentil base

Heat-10ml-coconut-oil-in-a-heavy-bottomed-saucepan-over-medium-heat — Heat 10ml coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.

Add-the-rinsed-lentils-and-rice-and-gently-toast-for-1-minute — Add the rinsed lentils and rice, and gently toast for 1 minute.

Stir-in-turmeric-sea salt-and-filtered-water — Stir in turmeric.

Add-in-water-bring-to-a-boil — Add in water and bring to a boil.

Bring-to-a-boil-reduce-heat-to-low-cover-and-simmer-for-20-30-minutes — Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until lentils and rice are cooked.

To cook the kitchari

Add-mustard-seeds-cumin-seeds-and-curry-leaves-Toast-until-mustard-seeds-pop — Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Toast until mustard seeds pop. *(Curry leaves were unavailable the day we were filming!)*

Stir-in-onions-and-sauté-for-3-minutes-until-softened — Stir in onions and sauté for 3 minutes until softened.

Add-garlic-ginger-an-tomatoes-Cook-gently-until-the-tomatoes-break-down-into-a-sauce — Add garlic and ginger.

Cook-gently-until-the-tomatoes-break-down-into-a-sauce — Add the tomatoes. Cook gently until the tomatoes break down into a sauce.

add-the-spices-to-the-kitchari-base — Incorporate chili powder, coriander powder, fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, fennel seeds, cardamom, and asafetida.

Cook-the-spice-mixture-for-1-2-minutes — Cook the spice mixture for 1-2 minutes.

Add-the-cooked-rice-and-lentils-to-the-spice-mixture-Stir-thoroughly-to-combine — Add the cooked rice and lentils to the spice mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Adjust-seasoning-with-black-pepper-and-lime-juice — Adjust seasoning with black pepper and lime juice.

Add-chopped-coriander — Add chopped coriander.

To serve kitchari

kitchari-ready-to-serve — Kitchari is ready to serve!

Kitchari-served-in-a-bowl — Serve in a nice bowl and enjoy mindfully!

More recipes to try

We hope you enjoy this recipe. Let us know in the comments below how you like it and any variations you did. Remember to tag #HolisticChefAcademy when you make our recipe. Happy cooking!

Kitchari | Ancient recipe for Detox

What is kitchari?

History of Kitchari

Why do spices work?

Lentils & Rice