Vegetable Kitchari

This Vegetable Kitchari is a healthy one pot meal. It is mostly referred to as a “comfort food” in India. I used instant pot to cook this recipe but you can also use the regular pressure cooker or a deep pot. There are a lot of ways you can make kitchari, but this recipe is the simple ,healthy and loaded with veggies and lentils. 

I used just the split mung beans in this recipe, but you can use red lentils, yellow split lentils or brown lentils. To make this recipe more flavorful and healthier I used basmati brown rice. If you do not like to add rice then substitute with quinoa.

The traditional texture of kitchari is slightly mushy and soft in texture (it’s the way my family likes too). If you do not like it mushy you can always reduce the amount of water and decrease the cooking time. But if you wanted it to be more like a porridge, add more water and increase the cooking time.

In this recipe I am using the basic vegetables like carrot, beans, celery, tomatoes, spinach and mint. You can use a variety of veggies to this kitchari like cauliflower, bell pepper, cabbage, mixed greens, broccoli, zucchini and peas.

What you’ll need to make Vegetable Kitchari

• Split Mung Beans
• Basmati Brown Rice
• Ghee
• Ginger (grated)
• Green Chili
• Cumin (ground)
• Coriander (ground)
• Cumin Seeds
• Chopped mixed veggies (carrots, tomatoes, french beans, celery)
• Onions (chopped)
• Spinach leaves
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Water
• Cilantro

How to make Vegetable Kitchari with step by step photos & instructions

1. Turn on the instant pot to saute mode. When it’s hot, add clarified butter (ghee) and cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds start to splutter, add onions and green chili. Cook for a minute.

2. Add all the chopped vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, french beans, celery). Mix well and cook for a minute.

3. Add the spinach to the veggies, mix and cook for 2 more minutes.

4. Now add the mung beans, brown rice, turmeric, salt, ground cumin and ground coriander. Give everything a quick stir. 

5. Add the water, check for the salt. Close IP lid with pressure valve to sealing and press the rice button.

6. When done, vent out the steam, open the lid. Top with cilantro and serve hot!

Notes

• You can use any vegetables of your choice like cauliflower, bell pepper, cabbage, mixed greens, broccoli, zucchini and peas. This makes the recipe more nutritious.
• You can substitute the brown rice with broken rice, white rice or quinoa.
• You can cook the kitchari in a deep pot on a stove but takes a lot of time to cook, using a pressure cooker instead is a better and closer option to instant pot.
• If you do not want to add the veggies just add the spinach and other greens, it still tastes so delicious.

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know how it turned out. Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with hashtag #daily_foodhacks.