The Basic Kitchari Recipe

I truly do not know why I haven't posted a recipe of Kitchari up until now. I recently hosted a class at Asheville's Love. Shine. Play festival, and talked all about it. Of course folks would want the recipe, so here we are! 

Why do we love kitchari in Ayurveda? Well, truly the reasons are a million, but here are a few of the most important ones:

• Easy to digest. Traditionally kitchari is made with yellow mung daal and basmati rice, and a few spices to support healthy digestion. Both the mung and the rice are really easy to digest. From an Ayurvedic perspective, digesting food takes a lot of energy from the body, diverting its attention from other processes such as detoxing. Thus, the simpler the meal, the easier to digest. 
• Sattvic in nature. I plan on doing a whole post on what is sattva, but again to keep it simple here, just know that it is whole and pure. This in turn supports a healthy mind, body, and spirit. 
• Easy to make and a million different varieties to go with it! 

Enjoy this simple recipe that is wholesome and nourishing to your whole being. I've also included various riffs off of this basic recipe! 

​Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice: 1 Cup 
• Yellow Mung Daal: 1 Cup 
• Mustard Seed: 1 tsp 
• Cumin Seed: 1 tsp 
• Asafoetida Powder: pinch 
• Freshly Grated Ginger: 1-2 tsp
• Turmeric: 2 tsp 
• Salt: To Taste

Recipe:

• Soak rice and daal overnight or at least 2-3 hours. Scoop the foam off of the top.
• Warm oil in a big pot. Once it is warm, place mustard, cumin, asafoetida, and ginger in the oil. Allow the spices to temper.
  • Additionally, if you feel so inclined, any additional spice can be thrown in at this time as well. You want the spices to start to pop, and a soft aroma comes off of the pot.
• Pour the rice and daal into the pot and give it a good mix.
• Next pour about 2-2.5 cups of water over the top. You want the water to sit about 1 inch above rice/daal combination.
• Mix in the turmeric and salt.
• Finally, let the rice and daal cook until nice and soft. Stir every few minutes. You will let it come to a rolling boil and then simmer. You can add in a little water if you want it to be slightly softer.
• Garnish with some cilantro and enjoy!

Notes:

• Feel free to add in your favorite veggies during the tempering process: sweet potato, greens, cabbage, squash, and peas are some things I throw in to add in some fiber. Added gold star if you choose seasonal veggies! 
• Additional spices to think through: I love using whole clove, whole black peppercorn, and whole cinnamon sticks for just enough added warmth without the crazy spice. But I always encourage folks to experiment and do what feels good to them! 
• Different lentils: Try switching out split moong, whole green moong, or red lentils or add in a little for extra taste. 
• Add in some quinoa; a little extra protein and macros never hurt! 
• Cookware: 
  • I typically make my kitchari in an instant pot. Start tempering in saute mode, and then finish cooking on manual mode. For the above recipe, set the manual mode to about 23-25 minutes. 
  • You can also do this on the stovetop, slow cooker, or normal pressure cooker. You may need to adjust the quantity of water OR keep adding water to ensure that everything is being cooked properly. You want the final consistency to be that of porridge. 

Try it out for yourself, and let me know what you think!