Kitchari or Kitcharee is an Ayurvedic dish made with rice, lentils, turmeric and salt. The combination of rice, lentils and spices helps with digestion and nourishes your body with all the essential nutrients. This simple meal has different variations across India, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal. It’s basically India’s own comfort food. Good for the body, mind, and soul.
Kitchari is also known as a detoxifying dish that aids in digestion in Ayurvedic medicine. This dish is usually served to children or to people when they’re sick. It is very easy to digest and full of nutrients.
Kitchari’s texture is supposed to be very creamy, like a soupy version of porridge. It’s up to you how much water you want to add. You can also use different vegetables like pumpkins, tomatoes, and green beans. Make sure to stick to up to 4 vegetable varieties, we don’t want it to become a vegetable stew!
Aside from the rice, you can also use different varieties of lentils together like Pearl Millet, Yellow Mung Dal or Mung Bean.
In this recipe, you’ll be able to cook a simple Kitchari using vegetables, rice, lentils, and both whole and ground spices. Traditionally it is served with Yoghurt, Papadam, Ghee , Pickle and green chutney.
Kitchari
Cuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalA simple, Indian recipe made of lentils, rice, vegetables and spices!
Ingredients
- Spices
1 tsp Cloves
1 tsp Reed Chili Powder
1 Black Cardamom
5-6 Green Cardamom
2″ Cinnamon Quill
3 Bay Leaves
1 tbsp Ground Coriander Seeds
1/2 tbsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tbsp Salt
2 tbsp Ghee
- Rice
200g White Rice
200g Pink Lentils
- Vegetables
50g Carrots
50g Cauliflower
1pc Green Chili
1 tsp crushed ginger and garlic
50g Onion
50g Green Peas
6 cups of Water
Directions
- Begin with heating the Ghee in a large pot. After that, add all the whole spices. Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes until the spices become fragrant.
- Next, add all the vegetables (except for the green peas). Cook all these vegetables for about 5 minutes. Let the vegetables absorb all the spices. You can cover the pot with a lid if you want.
- After that, add the green peas and fry for another 2 minutes. Then, add all the ground spices. Mix everything.
- You can now add the (soaked and rinsed ) rice and lentils along with water and 1/2 a tablespoon of salt. Bring all of this to a boil.
- Then, reduce the heat to medium and cook covered, on low heat, for about 30-40 minutes
- Stir the contents well from time to time to see if the rice and lentils are cooked and are not sticking to the bottom of the pot. You can add more water if needed.
- When the dish is ready, leave it covered for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
