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2. Soak the mung beans for several hours before cooking and drain.
3. Bring the mung beans and 4 cups of water to a boil, scooping off any foam that forms on the top. Then, strain out the liquid, and add another 4c to the mung dal.
4. Meanwhile mash the ginger with a mortar and pestle, or slice thinly. Set the mustard seed aside. Mix the remaining spices together with 1 tsp water, making a paste.
5. Fry the mustard seeds in ghee until they begin to pop.
6. Add the spice paste, spreading it in the pan, and fry for thirty seconds.
7. Add the spices to mung bean. Take some of the broth and wash any remaining spices from the frying pan into the simmering mung bean.
8. After an hour, or when mung beans begin to soften add white basmati rice and another cup of water. If you are going to use brown rice, be sure to add an extra cup of water and cook for longer - until the rice is soft.
9. Cook until tender on low heat for 20-25 minutes.
How Does This Ayurvedic Recipe Improve Wellness?
CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW
Kitchari is Ayurveda's signature healing recipe and a perfect food.
A simple, dynamic and heart warming synergy of mung beans, basmati rice, and digestive spices, kitchari is great for times of healing and recovery. Or whenever you suffer from plain old digestive discomfort.
You could even feature kitchari as the centerpiece of a mono-diet, fast or kitchari cleanse, as it is a simple food that supplements healing.
As with Chinese congees and Grandma's chicken soups, there are as many ways to make kitchari as there are reasons to consume it.
Typical modifications include vegetables such as carrots, greens, zucchini, or potatoes. Or add spices like cumin, cinnamon, or black pepper. Even toasted nuts or coconut can be healthy additions.
Technically, kitchari is any dish combining rice and legumes. However, most kitcharyies use mung beans.
Together, rice and beans make Kitchari a complete protein. Kitchari is rich in fiber, which lowers cholesterol and bulks up stools for easier elimination and cleansing of the digestive tract.
And if most beans cause digestive difficulties you will love kitchari. Not only are they among the easiest to digest legumes, they won't promote gas and bloating. Just make sure you get the yellow split mung beans, not the green ones with the shell.
Mung beans are also a natural antacid and help to soothe fiery digestive conditions.
Our featured recipe is especially suited to Vata dosha, and is a great healing meal for a Vata imbalance!
Or check out this kitchari recipe, best suited for Pitta dosha or this one designed for Kaphas.
As a staple in the Ayurvedic diet, spices are the difference between a tasty meal and a bland one. They are also the difference between enjoying a healthy digestion or suffering from a poor one.
For example, this Vata kitchari recipe features Asafoetida, also called hing.
Hing is a sharp and heating spice that stimulates the tongue. And not only does it make food more interesting, it also has many health promoting qualities.
Hing assists digestion, soothes spasms, and prevents and expels gas.
Pungent spices stimulate increased blood flow to the intestines, which increases digestive enzyme secretions. These extra gastric juices are why a well-spiced dish digests better than a bland one.
Listen to Your Body
As much as spices stimulate (or irritate) your tongue, they also irritate the digestive tract. The tongue is a mirror to the digestive tract.
So reach for spices with enthusiasm, but don't overdo it. Too much spice is harsh and can leave a burning feeling in the intestines. Listen to your body and its reaction to what you eat. Those with ulcers or inflammation will not benefit from an ingredient with the spicy strength of hing
But if your digestion is sluggish, spices like hing could become your gut's best friend.
And be sure to check out more of our Vata recipes!
AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT
Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances.
With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you.
Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature.
By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health.
See How it Works.
Is Mung Dal Kitchari (Vata Reducing) Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?
Find out by taking this free, easy quiz.
You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Mung Dal Kitchari (Vata Reducing)' is a good fit.
Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.
Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics
(gunas).
Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance.
By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick.
Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold).
You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.
Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food.
Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body.
Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food.
Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods.
Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion.
Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste.
One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes.
The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent.
Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?
According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine,
people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person.
Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness.
Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency.
Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses.
The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.
The 3 functional body types
(doshas),
are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry.
Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed.
Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.
Herbs or spices with volatile essential oils that present strong aromas. Aromatic oils shock, refresh and numb tissue, with the end result of relaxing, opening and clearing stagnant fluids in tissues.
Bland means doesn't have much taste. In Chinese medicine, bland taste refers to afood without little macronutrients, such as cabbage, radish or bok choy.
Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Mung Dal Kitchari (Vata Reducing)
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary.
The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.
Stimulates the release of gas. Helpful for bloating or cramping abdominal pain. Propels food downward. Carminatives typically expel gas by relaxing the muscles of the intestines.
Creates a feeling of awareness or tension in the area in the forehead. Activates the frontal lobe - the area responsible for motor function, emotional expression, thinking, and decision making.
A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area.
Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.
Cholagogues stimulate the production & release of bile from the liver & gallbladder. This refreshes and cleanses these organs, as well as increases bile in the small intestines.
Herbs which stimulate menstruation. Emmenagogues are used for scanty menstruation, to relieve menstrual pain, and improve blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus.
Flavonoids are a colorful type of polyphenol. As all polyphenols, they have a strong antioxidant effect. Many flavonoids have an anti-inflammatory, and/or antiallergen effect.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics.
His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda,
offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.
John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel,
as well as public service work in South Asia.
John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem.
His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion.
John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing.
In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots,
and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church.
Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick.
That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well.
Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 6 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.
Comments & Impressions of 'Mung Dal Kitchari (vata Reducing)'
Do you like 'mung dal kitchari (vata reducing)'?
Why or why not?
What makes it unique? Is there something you'd like to know about 'mung dal kitchari (vata reducing)'?
There are many variations of kitchari. Your suggestions are good ones. Adding cooked garlic and onion can help sedate Vata.
Plantains could create a food combination for weak digestion. If your intent is to enjoy kitchari and you can digest it, plantains are an exciting variation. Otherwise, if you are using kitchari to cleanse, I would stick with the simpler version presented here. If you find you need some variety, try adding carrots, kale, or coconut flakes.
Dear Terri,
Mung beans are easier to digest than most other beans. Unless your digestion is very weak, most Vata types can handle split mung dal. The spices also help. Vata people should include the mung beans in this recipe.
Thank you everybody for your comments, questions, and suggestions.
Love your recipe for kitchari, John. Freshly grated coconut or coconut milk made from freshly grated coconut would be a great addition to the recipe. I give it 5 stars!
Is there a slow cooker version? Can I just add everything to a slower cooker without frying the spices I find frying spices make them dark and unappetizing . Thanks for the recipie can't wait o try it.
Dear Jenn, Caraway and ajwain are different spices. I usually use the whole ajwain seed. Hing is also different from fennel. Hing is made from a resin and never appears in seed form. Thanks for asking! Warm Regards,
Can you please tell me if one would use brown basmati rice or white - does it make a difference? Also, when using as a cleansing, how much should you eat per day?
Thank you!
Dear Helen, Make sure the dal is completely cooked before you add the rice. Otherwise the rice will soak up all the water and the dal will remain hard.
An Ayurvedic practitioner told me that whole mung beans are better to be used in Kitchari because it is less constipating. I found various sources online that argue both. Which is your opinion?
The spices cooking in the ghee fills the house with the most tantalizing aroma. I can hardly wait the hour and half it takes to fully cook... but oh so worth it. Delicious!
- Catherine Inglese, Studio city, CA, 08-22-13 (Reply)
I have done a 4 days kitchari cleanse and became so constipated that I couldn't go on longer with it. I drink plenty of filtered water. Any suggestions to avoid that situation? I really would love to do a longer cleanse. Or is this protocol not suitable for me? I am Pitta-Vata (almost even). Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks for verifying the cook dal first thing. I can't believe some of the recipes I've seen online for kitcheri--no wonder it has a reputation for causing constipation!
Yes Martine, if you want your kitchari to be more soupy, add more water.
- Kimberly Kubicke, Asbury park, NJ, 07-25-17 (Reply)
I followed this recpe and soaked split mung beans with Brown Basmati rice; the only spice I did not have was ajwain. During cooking the food was very sticky to the pan and I had to add water numerous times. I was concerned that the brown rice would not cook thoroughly as the water was reduced. The flavor was very good but I experienced a lot of gas. I normally do not have gas from Kitchari. Kindly advise your thoughts. I am tridoshic.D Swann
Dear Deborah - Did you cook the mung beans on their own for a good while as the recipe instructs? They need much more cooking time than the rice.
- Kimberly Kubicke, Asbury park, NJ, 06-12-18 (Reply)
This is nasty. It's easy to make but tastes like crap. I don't consider myself a picky eater! I will pretty much eat everything! But I could not eat this. Did anyone else find the taste of this to be very unappealing? This is my first recipe of kitchari that I've experimented with. I had to order the ingredients for this recipe on amazon because I couldn't find them anywhere. I'll probably never use them again. Haha! Oh well. Anyway, hopefully I can find a recipe that i like for kitchari.
We have several other kitchari recipes on the site you might try if you did not like this one.
- Kimberly Kubicke, Asbury park, NJ, 09-04-18 (Reply)
Everyone has different tastebuds, but I find it to be delicious, and more importantly, makes my stomach feel so good. Ajwain was suggested as a spice that might be beneficial for my liver and kidneys, as well as help with indigestion and gas, and it happens to add a flavor that I love as well. Thanks so much for the recipe!I have made this recipe several times and always return to it.
Yum! I tried this recipe today and really enjoyed it. The kitchari came out nicely seasoned/spiced and the tiniest bit soupy, but without being too wet (which is how it should be, in my opinion). I also added some finely diced carrot and frozen peas, which blended in nicely. Overall, this is a satisfying and comforting dish that I would recommend to others.
I'm looking forward to trying this. As it is suggested for all three meals of the day, can I make it in advance or should it be cooked fresh each time? Also, my personal recipe book does not recommend Mung beans for me (vata with some health issues) but I see it us the easiest to digest.. So assume it will be fine for three days? Thank youKaren
Hi Karen, ideally we would prepare our food fresh before each meal but this isn't always possible. A good rule of thumb is to prepare food no longer that 24hrs before you'll eat it.If you find the mung beans difficult to digest you can try lessening the amount and increasing the amount of basmati, which is easy on the digestive system. Let us know how you enjoy your kitchari!
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
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