A Warming Dish for Digestion and Rest
When my patients’ digestion feels off, whether from stress, travel, illness or a few too many rich meals, kitchari is one of the first foods I reach for. It is a simple, one-pot stew of mung beans and rice that has been used in Ayurveda for centuries as a food for rest and recovery. It is warm, grounding, easy to digest, and gentle enough to eat for several days in a row while your body catches its breath.
This version builds on the classic with bone broth, ginger, sweet potato and greens, so it is nourishing as well as easy on the gut. You can make it fit any constitution with a few simple swaps, noted below.
Doshic effect: Vata ↓, Pitta ↓, Kapha ↓
Follow the ingredient modifications for Pitta and Kapha.
Serves: 4 to 5
Soak time: 12 to 24 hours (or see the speed-soak method below)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 to 50 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons ghee (or Rasayana Ghrita or coconut oil). Kapha: use 1 tablespoon.
½ teaspoon cumin seed
½ teaspoon brown mustard seed. Pitta: omit, or replace with fennel seed.
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ to 1 jalapeño, finely minced (optional). Pitta: omit.
Fresh ginger, a 2 to 3 inch piece, finely minced or grated
2 tablespoons shredded coconut. Kapha: use 1 tablespoon.
2 tablespoons cashew pieces. Kapha: use 1 tablespoon.
1 to 2 teaspoons Agni Churna* (or Vata, Pitta or Kapha Churna)
8 cups unsalted bone broth, meat broth or vegetable broth, homemade if you can (or water, or half broth and half water)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup whole mung beans, soaked
¾ cup brown rice
1 small sweet potato, chopped (about 1½ cups)
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 to 3 medium kale leaves, stemmed and chopped
1 lemon, juiced
¾ teaspoon pink salt, mineral salt or sea salt
Chopped green onion, for garnish
Shredded coconut, for garnish. Kapha: omit.
*Agni Churna can be replaced with ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, [finish this line]
INSTRUCTIONS
Drain and rinse the soaked mung beans. Rinse the brown rice until the water runs mostly clear.
Warm the ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and cook until the mustard seeds begin to pop, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Add the black pepper, jalapeño and ginger. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Stir in the coconut, cashews and churna and toast for about 1 minute, stirring so nothing scorches.
Add the broth, cinnamon sticks, mung beans and rice. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
Add the sweet potato and carrot. Simmer, covered, for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the beans and rice are very soft. Add more broth or water if you like a soupier stew.
Stir in the kale for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Remove the cinnamon sticks. Stir in the lemon juice and salt, then taste and adjust.
Serve warm, topped with green onion and shredded coconut.
ADDITIONAL TIPS
Speed soak: if you forgot to soak your mung beans overnight, rinse them, cover with a few inches of water, and bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain, rinse and use as directed.
Make it a reset: many people eat kitchari for 3 to 7 days as a simple, gentle reset. Talk with your provider first if you are pregnant, nursing, managing blood sugar, or have a medical condition.
Storage: kitchari keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and thickens as it sits. Add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it.
