Ayurvedic Lunch Recipe for Healthy Digestion

Today I’m sharing my favorite Ayurvedic lunch recipe: kitchari. It takes a little time to prepare (half an hour to an hour), but that’s the whole point.

Eating slowly = good for your digestion

If you’re anything like me, you often find yourself eating at the kitchen counter. Or you might quickly wolf down a sandwich while sitting at your computer. That’s fine, as long as it makes you feel good.

But if you have gut issues, you might need to slow it down a little. Take some time to chew.

Eating slowly benefits your digestion, and kitchari is a great dish to savor and eat slowly.

In my book Out of the Mud, I share more Ayurvedic recipes, as well as practical tips (with explanations) for more balance and peace in body and mind.

Best Ayurvedic lunch recipe for balance: kitchari

Kitchari is pretty much the most important dish in Ayurveda for lunch, because it’s easy to digest and incredibly nutritious. It provides a complete combination of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

This dish is also often used during Ayurvedic panchakarma, a detox, to restore balance to the body and mind.

Because it contains spices such as turmeric and ginger, kitchari can help reduce inflammation and detoxify the body. It also helps me relieve PMS symptoms in my luteal phase.

Kitchari is simple to make, but you do need to remember to soak the mung beans in water the night before.

Kitchari recipes for vata, pitta, and kapha

Kitchari is already easy to digest, and with minor adjustments, you can make it perfectly suitable for vata, pitta, and kapha.

The base consists of basmati rice and mung dahl (you can buy mung beans at health food stores). There are various versions, and you can add or omit spices depending on your taste, dosha, or needs.

Here’s one of my yoga videos for calming down the nervous system, which can help digestion:

Kitchari recipe for balancing vata

Vata benefits from warm, nourishing, and slightly oily foods that help calm its energy and warm the body. According to Ayurveda, you can enjoy this kitchari for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup mung dal (split mung beans, soaked overnight)
• 6 cups water
• 1 cm fresh ginger root, chopped or grated
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• A pinch of cayenne or chili powder
• Warming vegetables, such as carrots or pumpkin

Preparation:

Rinse the mung beans several times and bring them to a boil. I usually cook them for about 90 minutes, depending on the instructions on the package and how quickly they soften. It’s important that they are fully cooked—otherwise, this dish won’t be as nourishing or healing.

Cook the rice and chop the vegetables into small pieces. Heat a pan, add the ghee and ginger, then add the vegetables and spices and sauté briefly. Add some water and let it simmer gently.

Kitchari recipe for balancing pitta

For pitta, it’s important to cool the system and prevent overheating, so the ingredients are lighter and more cooling.

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice and mung dal
• Ghee
• Cooling spices such as coriander, fennel, and cumin
• Vegetables like zucchini, asparagus, or broccoli

Preparation:

Follow the instructions from the vata recipe above, but use cooling spices and vegetables. Heat the ghee, add the cooling spices, then the rice and mung dal. Cook on low heat and add the vegetables towards the end to keep a soft texture.

Kitchari recipe for balancing kapha

Kapha benefits from light, dry, and warming foods. The following Ayurvedic lunch recipe for kitchari is great for kapha.

Ingredients:

• Basmati rice and mung dal
• Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger, and turmeric
• Vegetables such as spinach, kale, and bell pepper

Preparation:

Toast the spices in a small amount of ghee to activate their warming properties. Use spices and cook until everything is soft. Add leafy greens at the very end.

Dosha tea to drink with your Ayurvedic lunch

I love pairing my Ayurvedic lunch with an herbal tea.

For me, a tea that balances both pitta and vata works well, as those are my dominant doshas. When my belly is upset, I also drink CCF tea (cumin–coriander–fennel tea), an Ayurvedic blend that supports digestion.

Preparation:

• Take 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, and 1 teaspoon fennel seeds. Bring 1 liter of water to a boil and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Strain the tea and drink it warm with your kitchari, or pour it into a thermos. Enjoy!