Easy One-Pot Indian Kitchiri

4.43 from 14 votes

If you've never had kitchiri, make this recipe ASAP. You have no idea what you're missing!

Easy One-Pot Indian Kitchiri

In my house, one-pot meals are absolutely necessary. They’re often the savior of weeknight dinners, the difference between ordering last-minute take-out and cooking a healthy meal at home. This is due to the fact that despite my good meal-planning intentions, I often don’t feel like cooking after a busy day. If the recipe is simple enough to execute — like this Easy One-Pot Indian Kitchiri — the chances become much, much better that I’ll actually pull it off.

These Easy Indian Dinner Recipes only require a handful of ingredients and about 30 minutes from start to finish. You’ll do everything in a single pot, from toasting the spices to bring out their flavor to simmering the rice and beans. In addition to being simple to make, this Easy One-Pot Indian Kitchiri is also made with all plant-based ingredients. You won’t miss the meat, though. It contains enough fiber and protein to be filling, even for the meat-eaters in the house.

What is Kitchiri?

Kitchiri recipe

Kitchiri (also spelled kitcharee, khichadi, kitchadee, khichdi, and many other variations) is an Indian dish made with rice and dal (a type of split pea or lentil). I was first introduced to the dish when I co-wrote My Mother’s Ayurvedic Kitchen with Ayurvedic practitioner Amita Nathwani. She explained that, according to Ayurveda, kitchiri is one of the most nourishing foods you can eat because it’s easy to digest. Her grandmother served kitchiri for dinner every night of the year, and it’s served for panchakarma, a cleansing program used in Ayurveda to remove imbalances from the body.

The rice and beans come together to form a complete protein. That means they contain all the amino acids our bodies need (just like meat). It’s an excellent vegetarian meal and can easily become vegan and plant-based if made with coconut oil instead of ghee (as in this recipe). Our modified recipe also uses red lentils instead of moong dal, as they’re generally easier to find in U.S. grocery stores.

Can you Make Kitchiri in an Instant Pot?

Indian kitchiri

If you want to make these easy Indian Dinner Recipes even easier, feel free to use the Instant Pot! Use the Saute function to toast the spices, onion, carrots, and ginger before adding the rice, lentils, and water. Instead of using all the water in the stovetop version, you’ll want to reduce the water to three cups.

Then turn the Instant Pot on to Manual (high pressure) and cook for eight minutes. When the timer goes off, let the pressure naturally release for two to three minutes before manually releasing the pressure.

How to Serve Easy One-Pot Kitchiri

Indian-inspired meal

Kitchiri is filling and nourishing on its own, so don’t be afraid to eat it plain as it is. To create a healthy, balanced meal, we definitely suggest serving it with vegetables. You can either whip up your favorite vegetable side dishes, or stir veggies like broccoli, spinach, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and more into the pot for the last three to five minutes.

Some people serve kitchiri with a dollop of yogurt (or chaas, a spiced buttermilk made by blending yogurt and water together). We left the yogurt out of this recipe to make it vegan-friendly, but feel free to add it in! You can also use coconut cream or our dairy-free sour cream recipe for a plant-based addition.

When it comes to garnish, we love using herbaceous cilantro. You can also introduce a little tang to the dish by adding a splash of lime juice. To give this recipe a touch of sweetness, add a spoonful of caramelized onions to the top of each bowl. You can also add a little spice by serving the dish with spicy Indian mixed pickles.

This is a great meal for busy weeknights. It’s also an excellent way to show meat-eaters how filling vegetarian dishes can be. Once you give it a try, we’re sure these easy Indian dinner recipes will join the regular rotation at your house!

4.43 from 14 votes

Easy One-Pot Indian Kitchiri

This one-pot dish is easy to make, cleansing, and absolutely comforting.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 4 people
Serving Size 1.5 cup (approx)
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds (optional)
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger minced
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup basmati rice rinsed
  • 1 cup red lentils rinsed
  • 5 cups water or vegetable broth
  • 4 cilantro sprigs chopped, for garnish

Instructions

  • In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds (if using) and cook for 1 minute, until the seeds begin to pop.
  • Add the onions, carrots, and ginger to the pot and cook until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the turmeric, salt, pepper, rice, and red lentils. Stir to coat the rice with the spices.
  • Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.
  • Check the pot to see if the rice and lentils are tender. If they are not but there is no more liquid, add an extra 1/2 cup water and cook for an additional 5 minutes. If the rice is tender but the mixture contains a lot of liquid, simmer uncovered for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Serve the kitchiri with the chopped cilantro.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1.5cup (approx) | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 623mg | Potassium: 372mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5241IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 11
Keywords Gluten-Free, Plant-Based, Quick and Easy

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Chef Lindsay

Lindsay D. Mattison is a professional chef, recipe developer, and food writer. After graduating from Cascade Culinary School, Lindsay worked as the executive chef of a farm-to-table restaurant in Bend, Oregon. She is passionate about using local, organic ingredients and loves teaching home cooks how to incorporate seasonal food into their diet. While she spends most of her time writing these days, she still exercises her culinary muscles on the regular, taking any opportunity to create beautiful meals for her family. She lives with her husband in Colorado, where she enjoys the trials and errors of gardening.

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7 Comments

  1. I made this recipe tonight. It was very easy to make. I like easy. I thought it was ok but wondered if using vegetable broth could be used in place of water. Also it says that is has 4 servings and the serving size is one cup. How can that be? I made this exactly as the recipe called for and I ended up with a lot left over. I was able to put 2 cups per serving into 5 bowls. Can you explain?3 stars

    1. Hi Jake, thanks for your feedback! We love how easy this recipe is, too! Vegetable broth can absolutely be used instead of water. As far as the servings go, we have made a few updates to the recipe, which should adjust the servings for four people.

  2. This looks lovely, definitely going to give it a shot, but with a couple of modifications – Chef, if I’m staying away from rice [lentils are fine], and replacing with cauliflower rice, should I reduce the amount of liquid & cook time? Second question – would adding a pinch of saffron and a shake of sambar be too dominant for the flavours already here? Thanks!

    1. Max, Try decreasing the liquid by 1 cup for cauliflower rice. I would add a small pinch of saffron and a tiny shake of sambar. Love those flavors!

  3. Fantastic!
    I used 1 cup of carrots and one cup of sweet potatoes. I added 1 teaspoon of cumin.
    Also added some garlic (3 cloves minced) and 4 small picked jalapeño pepper
    pieces (no seeds) and added juice of one lime and 1 cup cilantro at the end.

    Also served with plain coconut silk yogurt with lime, salt, grated cucumber, cumin and mint.

    So yummy! And easy to make!5 stars

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