There are many many versions of Kitchari – I recently saw a list of 90 different kitchari recipes. And that would just be the tip of the iceberg. Today we make kitchari with Moth Beans.

Moth Beans (pronounced Mot-h) are packed with nutrition. Here they are cooked with rice, onions, garlic, spices and tomato, for a delicious any-time meal or snack. Omit the onions and garlic if preferred.

Similar recipes include Urad and Red Rice Kitchari, Bisi Bele Huriyanna, Moth Bean (Matki) Dal, Latka Kitchari, Bengali Vegetable Khichuri, and Cauliflower and Broken Wheat Kitchari.

Browse all of our Kitchari dishes, and all of our Rice recipes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Mid Summer dishes.

Moth Bean Kitchari | Matki Khichuri

ingredients

1 cup rice

0.5 cup moth beans

0.25 tspn turmeric powder

sea salt to taste

tadka

0.5 tspn brown mustard seeds

0.5 tspn cumin seeds

0.5 tspn urad dal

2 Indian dried red chillies

1 green chilli, slit from tail to near the head, but left in 1 piece

10 curry leaves

2 tspn ghee

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tspn ginger, finely chopped

1 tomato, chopped

method

Rinse the moth beans and soak for 2 – 3 hours. Rinse the rice and soak for 20 mins. Drain both well.

Cook the rice and moth beans with the turmeric powder and 3 cups water until very well cooked and water is absorbed. Add more water during cooking if required. Watch the kitchari towards the end of time so that it doesn’t burn. Keep the heat low. The rice and moth beans can also be cooked in a rice cooker or pressure cooker.

Puree the tomato.

Make a tadka by heating the ghee and adding the mustard seeds. Allow to pop. Add the cumin seeds, dried red chillies, the slit green chilli, and urad dal and saute until the urad dal turns golden brown. Add the curry leaves and allow to splutter. Add the onions, ginger and garlic cloves and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the pureed tomato and stir until simmering.

Add the tomato mixture to the cooked rice and moth beans and stir well.

Serve with yoghurt and pickle, or with a spicy vegetable curry.