There are many ways I've seen to spell Kitchari, this is my favorite way, so I am going with it. Recipe makes 3-4 servings. If you are doing a Kitchari cleanse (where you eat just Kitchari for 3-14 days) this should last you for roughly a day. Depends somewhat on how hungry you are, and if you eat 3 meals of kitchari or if you choose to eat other things too. Spice measurements depend on how much you like spices and what season we are in. Below is a kitchari recipe for spring, a season when it is ok to eat more spices. If you are lazy (which I sometimes am) or don't want to buy all the spices individually, buy a spice mix. I really like Banyan Botanicals spice mix for Kitchari.
Enjoy! XO
Ingredients
1/2-2/3 cup basmati rice (depends on how much rice to mung beans you like)
1 cup Green mung (split will cook faster but either is fine)
1 tablespoon ghee
1/4-1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 pinches of hing powder
1/2 inch fresh ginger
1/2-3/4 tsp turmeric
2 pinches mustard seeds
2 pinches or a few turns of a pepper mill (to taste)
Salt to taste
5-6 cups of water (maybe more, depends on the consistency you like your kitchari)
Procedure
Wash rice and mung dal and soak overnight, or for at least 3 hours. Drain soaking liquid.
In a medium saucepan warm the ghee. Add the mustard seeds, ginger, cumin, turmeric, pepper, hing in that order (or add spice mix) sauté for one to two minutes. Do not burn spices.
Add rice and mung dal and sauté for another couple of minutes. Then add 5-6 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Once the kitchari has come to a boil reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until it is tender (approx. 30–45 minutes, perhaps longer if you are using whole mung rather then split). Stir occasionally and check water, add more water if needed. The consistency of your kitchari is personal preference. I personally like a porridge-like consistency, but a more soupy, watery consistency is preferable if your digestion is weak.
I love adding vegetables to my kitchari. If you are adding vegetables to your kitchari, add the longer cooking vegetables, such as root veggies; carrots, beets, or celery halfway through the cooking. The vegetables that cook faster, such as leafy greens, you add closer to the end. The larger you cut the veggies the longer they will take.
Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley and add salt to taste.
