Basic, savory and sweet kitchari recipes for a 3-day Kitchari cleanse
Kitchari, a basic rice and split lentil dish that I learned and came to love from my Indian relatives, is on regular rotation at my house. In India, it’s one of the most basic, healthy dishes you can eat. They think of it as one of those foods that’s used to clean out your system when it’s in need of cleansing — like a juice cleanse, in meal form.
We eat kitchari at least once a week (if not more) because it's delicious, so incredibly simple to make and so nourishing. I love it, my daughter loves it, and (unless he's on a no-carb kick) my husband loves it. So when Sam Attard of Healthy Happy Human reached out to me about doing a kitchari cleanse, I jumped at the opportunity to have an excuse to eat kitchari every day.
While I’m not typically one for cleanses, a kitchari cleanse seems manageable and actually sustainable. There’s no starving your body here, just giving it what it needs. You can read about the full benefits of the cleanse here on Sam’s site. She has even included a PDF for how to plan, prep and execute the cleanse.
To keep it interesting, I made three different recipes to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you do it this way, it doesn’t feel like you’re eating the same meal over and over again. However, you’ll have to make all the kitchari in advance and warm it up on the stovetop when ready to eat. For me, doing any kind of cleanse is all about convenience.
If you want to make fresh kitchari everyday, you could opt for having the sweet version one day, the savory another and the basic one on the last day. Any way you do it, you’ll be doing your body good.
Cinnamon and cardamom-spiced Kitchari breakfast bowl
COOKING NOTES
This kitchari is a riff off a sweet breakfast porridge that uses a few warming spices and coconut milk to lend a natural sweetness. While it doesn’t have any refined sugar, you can add a drizzle of honey at the end if you feel it’s missing something.
MAKES 3 SERVINGS
PREP TIME: Overnight Soak COOK TIME: 20 minutes TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup mung beans
3/4 cup brown basmati rice
2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground carmadom
2 cloves
4 cups water
1 pinch kosher salt
¼ cup coconut milk
Honey (optional)
Bee pollen (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak beans and rice overnight.
- The next day, drain the beans and rice.
- In a medium pot over low heat, warm the coconut oil until melted. Add the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves and cook until the spices are just toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the mung beans and rice. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut milk. Serve and top with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of be pollen, if using.
Mixed vegetable and greens kitchari
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
PREP TIME: Overnight COOK TIME: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup mung beans
3/4 cup white basmati rice
2 tablespoons ghee (or coconut oil)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 orange or red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
Kosher salt
4 cups water or broth
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 cup Swiss chard, chopped
3 cups water or broth
¼ cup yogurt (optional)
Small bunch cilantro (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak the lentils and rice overnight.
- The next day, in a medium pot, warm the ghee or oil until melted. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrot and cook until just softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in the cumin seeds, coriander and turmeric and a pinch of salt and cook until just toasted, about 1 minute. Then add the lentils and rice.
- Add the spinach, chard and water or broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and then cook, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and add a little more ghee, if needed.
- Serve with yogurt and cilantro, if using.
Basic rice and lentil kitchari
COOKING NOTES
This is the most basic kitchari recipe of all, where the lentils are cooked separately and then stirred together with a drizzles of warm spices and ghee at the end. If you don’t want to make them separately, you can add all the spices in at the beginning.
MAKES 3 SERVINGS
PREP TIME: Overnight COOK TIME: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup basmati rice
4/4 cup mung beans
4 cups water or broth
Kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons ghee
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 pinch asafoetida
INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak the lentils and rice overnight.
- In two small pots over medium heat, cook the lentils and rice separately with half the water or broth until the liquid is mostly absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt, and let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, warm the ghee until melted. Add the cumin seeds, turmeric and asafoetida and cook until just toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Serve the rice and lentils in a bowl. Stir in the spiced ghee.