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    Home » Instant Pot » instant pot vegan indian recipes

    Instant Pot Kitchari (Lightly Spiced Lentils and Rice)

    Published: Sep 8, 2020 by Richa 136 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    Learn how to make Kitchari in your Instant Pot – a traditional Indian recipe for basmati rice with red lentils or Mung Dal that is easy to digest, packed with fiber and warming spices! Perfect for the cold season. Jump to Recipe

    overhead shot of Instant Pot Kitchari

    Meet Kitchari,  the ultimate Indian comfort food! Think of it as the Chicken Noodle Soup of India.

    Kitchari (pronounced kich-uh-ree) is a delicious, warming and super nourishing combination of split mung beans or quick-cooking lentils and white basmati rice with plenty of spices.  It’s the perfect soul-hugging food for rainy days when you’re a bit under the weather.

    The unique blend of spices used in kitchari not only adds flavor but is also wonderfully warming and balancing – perfect for fall and winter and just delicious. Kitchari can be made many different ways and has references dating back thousands of years. But despite its complex flavor, it’s so easy to make!

    You start by sauteeing the spices along with some onions, chili, ginger, and garlic to boost their fragrance and enhance their flavor! Then you add in your rice and dal, veggies, and some liquid. Cook it for 3 minutes in the Instant pot, let the steam release and you’re good to go.

    overhead shot of basmati rice dal split mung beans and red lentils next to a bowl of water

    Kitchari is dal and rice risotto like preparation that usually is very lightly spiced and served as light meal when you are sick or just to give the tummy a break with a simple nourishing meal.  The basic version is slightly bland with just 1 or 2 spices and kept so to be a light meal. You can add different spices, some vegetables, tomato etc to make it a hearty meal. This recipe is adapted from my book version. Also see my hearty green moong and brown rice version on the blog. Khichdi is generally overcooked to be more of a mash for easy digestion. I cook it for less time for the grains and lentils to retain shape (as seen in the pictured on this post) and a few minutes longer for a mash, when wanting it more porridge style.

    Recipe Card

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    5 from 50 votes

    Instant Pot Kitchari

    Learn how to make Kitchari in your Instant Pot - a traditional ayurvedic recipe for basmati rice with red lentils that is easy to digest, packed with fiber and warming spices! Perfect for the cold season. 
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    release pressure + pressure build up10 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Main, Side
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: indian kitchari, Instant pot kitchari, khichdi recipe, kitchari recipe, vegan lentils and rice
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 207kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup (92.5 g) long grain white basmati rice
    • 1/2 cup (96 g) quick cooking lentils such as split Red lentils (masoor dal) or (petite yellow lentils)Mung Dal or both
    • 1 tsp oil
    • 1/3 tsp cumin seeds or 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 onion finely chopped
    • 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
    • 1 inch (7 g) ginger finely chopped
    • 1 green Chili, chopped serrano or birds eye, or use half a jalapeño
    • 1 bay leaf or 6 curry leaves , optional
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala , optional
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1/4 tsp cayenne optional
    • 1 tomato chopped
    • 1 to 2 cups chopped vegetables
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 cups (473.18 ml) water 2.5 for saucier

    Instructions

    • Wash the lentils and rice then soak in hot water for 15 minutes. 
    • Heat the Instant Pot on saute. Add oil and let it heat up. Add cumin or mustard seeds and cook for half a minute. 
    • Add the onion, chile, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt (and bay leaves or curry leaves) and cook for 2 mins.
    • Add ginger and spices and mix in. 
    • Add tomato and cook for 3 mins. Mash the larger pieces. Add 2 tbsp water to deglaze mid way.
    • Drain and add the lentils and rice. Add water, salt, veggies and mix well to pick up any stuck bits. 
    • Close the lid and pressure cook one of the following times. Low pressure for 3 mins for pictured version. High pressure for 3 to 6 minutes for a porridge and if using mung dal. Once the cooking cycle is done, quick release the pressure after 5 mins. 
    • Fold in a few tbsp chopped cilantro and lemon juice to taste and fluff. Taste and adjust salt and flavor. 
      Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. For brown rice kitchari, try this.

    Video

    Notes

    • To make it in a saucepan: follow steps 1 to 5 in  a saucepan over medium heat. Add the lentils and rice and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low-medium and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes or until desired consistency. 
       You can add any blend of veggies! Think carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and spinach. Use any blend you like.
    • Make sure not to burn the spices or your kitchari will be bitter. 
    • White basmati rice can be substituted for other quick cooking whole grains such as quinoa, and amaranth.
    • Feel free to play around with the spices and vegetables, according to what you enjoy and what’s in season.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Instant Pot Kitchari
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 207 Calories from Fat 18
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 2g3%
    Sodium 448mg19%
    Potassium 455mg13%
    Carbohydrates 39g13%
    Fiber 9g38%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 9g18%
    Vitamin A 167IU3%
    Vitamin C 12mg15%
    Calcium 64mg6%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Ingredients:

    • The unique blend of spices used in kitchari is there to not only add flavor but also wonderfully warming, balancing and anti-inflammatory spices, and the blend is just delicious.
    • Along with the tempered spices, onion, ginger, chili and garlic form the base of this kitchari recipe
    • rice – basmati rice is the best choice here. Like the split mung beans, white basmati rice has been hulled and so it is pretty easy to digest.
    • Use red or golden lentils – any quick-cooking lentils or split mung beans dal

    Tips & Variations:

    •  You can add any blend of veggies! Think carrots, zucchini, cauliflower, and spinach. Use any blend you like.
    • Make sure not to burn the spices or your kitchari will be bitter.
    • White basmati rice can be substituted for other whole grains such as quinoa, and amaranth.
    • Feel free to play around with the spices and vegetables, according to what you enjoy and what’s in season.

    How to make Instant Pot Kitchari

    red lentils and rice soaking in water

    Wash the lentils and rice then soak in warm water for 15 minutes.

    onions, garlic and spices being fried in an Instant Pot to make Kitchari
    Heat the Instant Pot on saute. Add oil and let it heat up. Start by adding cumin or mustard seeds to the oil and cook for half a minute.


    Add the onion, chile, garlic, and a pinch of salt (and bay leaves or curry leaves) and cook for 2 mins. Then, add ginger and spices and mix in. Finally, add tomato and cook for 3 mins. Mash the larger pieces and let Add 2 tbsp water to deglaze midway.

    soaked rice and lentils being added to Instant Pot to make Kitchari
    Drain and add the lentils and rice. Add water, salt, veggies and mix well to pick up any stuck bits.

    Kitchari simmering in an Instant Pot

    Close the lid and pressure cook over high for 5 mins for porridge like and Low pressure for 3 minutes for more spiced rice kind of dish. Once the cooking cycle is done, quick release the pressure after 5 mins. Stir in cilantro and lemon. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.

    fresh cilantro being sprinkled on top of kitchari

     

    And best of all,  kitchari is great for meal prep or freezing. You can make a big batch of this lentil rice dish, keep it in the fridge for days and just heat it up whenever you’re ready to eat it!

    a bowl of Instant Pot Kitchari with a spoon

     

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    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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    1. Natalie

      September 06, 2023 at 4:21 pm

      5 stars
      Love this and so easy! I’ve had is several times and cannot get enough! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 07, 2023 at 8:27 pm

        yay! glad you enjoyed

        Reply
    2. Tori

      August 21, 2023 at 6:22 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! Do you think it would freeze well since it has rice cooked in with it?

      Reply
      • Richa

        August 27, 2023 at 9:30 pm

        Yes!

        Reply
    3. Arnisa

      August 07, 2023 at 11:20 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is getting me through college. I can’t thank you enough. Takes me 30 minutes to put together for dinner, it is so wholesome and nourishing and reminds me of mom’s cooking. The balance of spices and flavors is perfect.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        August 10, 2023 at 7:33 pm

        thank you so much! this is so kind

        Reply
    4. Arnisa

      August 07, 2023 at 11:19 am

      This recipe is getting me through college. I can’t thank you enough. Takes me 30 minutes to put together for dinner, it is so wholesome and nourishing and reminds me of mom’s cooking. The balance of spices and flavors is perfect.

      Reply
    5. Jen

      June 01, 2023 at 4:49 pm

      5 stars
      Another great recipe – thank you SO much! I also found it to be a bit bland but a little bit of lemon juice and a small amount of vegan butter added at the end made it very flavourful. I added canned faba beans after it had cooked to increase the protein. It’s been my delicious breakfast all week!

      Reply
      • Richa

        June 01, 2023 at 6:22 pm

        Awesome! Prob needed some extra salt
        To your taste which you got from
        The butter

        Reply
    6. Amy Hough

      May 22, 2023 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      This is going to be a staple in our home! I used split moong dal, leftover zucchini and mushrooms, and cooked on high pressure for the more “porridge” consistency. Easy and tasty! Excited to have a customizable recipe and easy way to use up extra veggies.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        May 26, 2023 at 5:52 am

        yay!

        Reply
    7. Mags

      May 08, 2023 at 1:11 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for lunch and it’s amazing! Super simple (though it took me a lot longer than 5 minutes to prep because of all the chopping!) and quick. I used cauliflower, spinach, and carrots for my vegetables and subbed 2 cups of vegan chick’n broth for the water. Delicious!

      Thanks so much for the recipe, Richa!

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 08, 2023 at 3:16 pm

        Yay

        Reply
    8. Reena

      January 11, 2023 at 3:37 pm

      5 stars
      Omg! This is the bomb! It’s so awesome. I was hesitant to try it, but it is simple & tastes great! Thank you so so much for this healthy & tasty recipe.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        January 13, 2023 at 10:37 am

        Hooray! Very happy you enjoy the recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    9. JoAnne

      December 17, 2022 at 9:48 am

      If I have regular whole Mung Beans (they were sent to me by mistake), can I use them in this recipe and just cook longer? I’m trying to find ways to use them without sprouting them.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        December 19, 2022 at 12:15 pm

        Soaking the mung beans as you would lentils for 15 minutes in hot water will do the trick. They shouldn’t need any extra pre-soaking or cooking.

        Reply
    10. Francisco Pereira

      September 24, 2022 at 11:37 am

      Hello! I just bought the Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook and gave it a try to this recipe. Since I normally cook a whole 1lb bag of mung dal, I had to use the website since the servings can be increased. The only issue I had is that the cooking times didn’t change. I believe my dish didn’t turn out as good since I used the cooking times for the normal 4 serving recipe. Is there a way to figure out the cooking times when the servings change? My dish ended up being a soup lol.

      Reply
      • Richa

        September 26, 2022 at 11:06 pm

        Cooking time stays the same. The increased volume means it will take more time to come to pressure. The liquid content to be used is slightly less than double. Everytime you double or triple or increase, use a bit less liquid. That may be the reason it was soupy

        Reply
      • JR

        February 01, 2023 at 7:20 pm

        I’m sorry to say it but this recipe was an absolute disaster. We followed each step carefully and we ended up with a soggy, under-seasoned disg with undercooked, crunchy split peas. We even opted for the longer-timed recipe as it didn’t sound like these could cook this quickly. Dissapointed here.

        Reply
        • Richa

          February 01, 2023 at 8:19 pm

          I am sorry it didn’t work out for you. I can tell you why
          – the recipe is written for quick cooking lentils. Split peas need atleast 3 times the cooking time
          – it will get soggy at longer time. Which is the expected result. The recipe says that if you want rice like consistency, then use 3 mins , if you want a porridge, use the higher cook times. Kitchari is often a porridge
          – kitchari is supposed to be under seasoned. It’s a break for the digestion. You can double or triple the spices to preference. Also if your spices are old, flavor payoff can be anywhere from 1/4 to 1/8 of the expected flavor

          Reply
    11. Julia

      July 18, 2022 at 6:02 am

      5 stars
      I am such a big fan of your recipes and love your books. The Instant Pot one is the 3rd one I own and today I made this recipe and it was so amazing, I Just had to leave a review! Wow! It’s super easy to make, the spice blend and texture are comfort food deluxe and it’s a great opportunity to use up those leftover veggies. This will become a weekly staple now!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        July 22, 2022 at 9:47 am

        wow! thank you so much

        Reply
    12. Anu

      April 22, 2022 at 7:30 pm

      This looks simple and delicious. I have a bag of diced frozen veg in the fridge that needs using up. Is it possible to use that in place of fresh vegetables in this recipe? If so, are any adjustments required to cooking time?

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        April 26, 2022 at 8:07 am

        sure, since frozen veg is already cooked, go with 1.5 min on low. enjoy!

        Reply
    13. Christine Lemieux

      January 23, 2022 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe. I do it on top of the stove, very easy and delicious!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        January 26, 2022 at 11:09 am

        perfect

        Reply
    14. Vivian

      January 08, 2022 at 10:22 pm

      This Looks Great!!!
      I don’t have an Instant Pot.
      What size should I get?
      What size should I use for your recipes?

      Thank you so much,
      Viv

      Reply
      • Richa

        January 08, 2022 at 11:07 pm

        I use the 6qt duo

        Reply
    15. Bryan

      October 12, 2021 at 6:14 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner tonight with the Gobi Manchurian and both turned out great! Thank you!

      Reply
    16. Sofia Kheraj

      September 21, 2021 at 3:47 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        September 21, 2021 at 6:36 pm

        Yay 😁

        Reply
    17. Priyanka

      September 10, 2021 at 4:48 pm

      Hi Richa, what would you serve with this recipe for a full meal?

      Reply
      • Richa

        September 10, 2021 at 7:39 pm

        Roasted veggies or any veggie subzi on the side. Add some roasted nuts for additional protein

        Reply
    18. Alyssa

      August 27, 2021 at 4:42 pm

      Hey,

      I’ve had my instapot for almost one year, when I first used it I had no problem cooking curry. Every time I have cooked curry in it since when I put on the pressure cook on, before it has even fully heated up the burn notification comes on and my curry is burnt to the bottom of the pot. Any suggestions on how to stop this? I want to be able to make more curries and this one is on my list 🙂

      Thanks 🙂

      Reply
      • Richa

        August 27, 2021 at 9:21 pm

        Maybe the heating element has something stuck to it. Clean that. Or buy a new inner pot. Maybe the inner pot is uneven. New steel or ceramic pots are easily available

        Reply
    19. Janian Thurman

      August 25, 2021 at 10:22 pm

      5 stars
      I love all your recipes, but this one has become a weekly staple! I love the versatility. I make sure to add immunity-boosting veggies as a compliment to the immunity-boosting spice blend. I saw another comment where the person said this was bland. In no way is it bland. I use whatever pepper I have in my home so sometimes the heat level varies. We eat it with siracha too! It’s simply fabulous. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Richa

        August 26, 2021 at 11:17 am

        ❤️❤️

        Reply
    « Older Comments

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    Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

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