Kitchari - Immune Boosting Recipe

Last year when I met with Jill Talve, an Ayurvedic Practitioner (check out our recent interview), she told me about this amazing Ayurvedic recipe called Kitchari (also spelled, kitcheree) to help support digestion and boost immune function.  The turmeric and ginger in this recipe are potent antioxidants and the mung daal and rice are easy to digest. Plus, it's so simple to make and insanely delicious.

To get you super excited about this recipe, my friend Sarah let me come make a mess of her kitchen and helped me take some of these fabulous photos. She's a quite literally a jack of all trades; an amazing chiropractor, cook, craftsman, and photographer. Enjoy!

Photo by Sarah Granite

Photo by Sarah Granite

Photo by Sarah Granite

Photo by Sarah Granite

Photo By Sarah Granite 

Photo By Sarah Granite 

Basic Kitchari

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1⁄2 cup mung dal
  • 1 tablespoon kitchari spice mix
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 cup radishes, chopped
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt

Wash rice and mung dal and soak overnight. Drain soak water.

In a medium saucepan on low heat warm the ghee, be careful as this burns easily. Add the kitchari spice mixture and sauté for one to two minutes. Add rice, mung beans, and salt and sauté for another couple of minutes. Then add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add additional salt, if needed. 

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).

Turn the heat off, then add radishes and cilantro. Salt to taste. Pour into bowls and top with additional radish and cilantro for garnish. 

If you're not sure where to grab these items, take the lazy way, like I did, and buy the Kitchari Making Kit from Banyan Botanicals

A big thank you to Sarah Granite of Granite Chiropractic for helping me take these amazing photos!