Oats Mung bean Kitchari

Oats mung bean kitchari is a one-pot meal cooked in an Instant pot ~ mung bean kitchari also known as mung bean khichadi usually prepared with a combination of rice and bean. We are replacing rice with oats for more health benefits. They are gluten-free and vegan.

Kitchari is Indian cuisine, prepared in different ways in different regions. Mostly, it is served hot. Therefore, I have tried like a mung stew for this cold season. This can either be prepared with yellow split mung dal (bean) or the split green mung bean.

What is Kitchari?

According to Ayurveda, Kitchari (pronounced kich-uh-ree) is a traditional cleansing food. It is a one-pot meal, a combination of two grains. You can add vegetables for more nutrition. Traditionally, it is so simple with only beans and rice, I have added tomato for stew consistency.
Consistency The consistency of the kitchari is mostly like porridge consistency, if you like it dry reduce the level of water. The texture will be somewhere just melts in your mouth, with no chew consistency.
Taste It taste so mild, with not many spices. Therefore, you can eat this comfort meal even when you are sick.
The advantage of eating Kitchari is, it’s gluten-free, tasty, nutritious, vegan, comfort, and easy to digest. Moreover, great on cold days.

Benefits of the ingredients (source)

Mung bean: Packed with healthy nutrients. Mung beans are rich in vitamins and minerals.
Steelcut oats: Oats are best known for fiber content, and provides small amounts of several other essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, folate, zinc, and selenium

Variations

• Replace oats with rice, brown rice, quinoa, or barley.
• You can use split mung bean or for easy cooking use yellow split mung bean.
• Add vegetables like carrot, french beans, potatoes for more nutritious value.

What oats should we use?

Since we are going to pressure cook the bean and oats together, I strongly recommend using steel cut oats. The advantage of steel-cut oats is they are dense and thick, which does not mush easily. The added advantage is that they are not processed like rolled oats.

The oats have a gooey and creamy texture, so it tastes more like a stew.

Ways of cooking Oats & Mung bean Kitchari

If you are going to use lentils or beans in your everyday cooking, I suggest using an Instant pot or pressure cooker. This saves you plenty of time. But if you are cooking with beans occasionally, I again suggest buying an Instant pot or pressure cooker.
Instant pot: Use sauté mode, cook tomatoes, and change to pressure cook in high-pressure for 15 minutes, and you are all done.
Pressure cooker: Same method as Instant pot.
Stove-top: For stove-top you have to babysit all the time, checking for the water level otherwise there are chances of burnt flavor in food. It is not difficult to cook on a stove-top, it takes your time.
Use a saucepan, sauté tomatoes use the same water level initially, close the lid and cook the oat & Mung bean. Keep checking in between and add water if needed.

Can we store Oats & Mung bean kitchari?

I strongly recommend keeping it fresh, it tastes better when hot. It normally gets tighter when it cools down. If you have leftovers stored in the fridge add few drops of water while reheating.