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Khichdi (also khichri, khichdee, khichadi, khichuri, khichari and many other variants) ( khica?i, khic?i, khichuri
Romanization of Bengali

The Romanization of Bengali, or the representation of the Bengali language in the Latin script. While different standards for romanization have been proposed for Bengali, these have not been adopted with the degree of uniformity seen in languages such as Japanese language or Sanskrit language....
) is a South Asian rice dish made from rice
Rice

Rice is a staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in tropical Latin America, and East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, making it the second-most consumed cereal grain, after maize....
 and lentil
Lentil

The lentil or daal or pulse is a bushy annual plant of the Fabaceae family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 15 inches tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each....
s (dal
Dal

Dal or Pappu is a preparation of pulse s which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick, spicy stew prepared therefrom, a mainstay of Indian cuisine, Cuisine of Pakistan, and Cuisine of Bangladesh cuisine....
). Khichdi is commonly considered to be South Asia's comfort food
Comfort food

The term comfort food refers to a variety of familiar, simple foods that are usually home-cooked or eaten at informal restaurants....
, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian cuisine

Anglo-Indian cuisine is the often distinct cuisine of the Anglo-Indian community in both United Kingdom and India.Some Anglo-Indian dishes involve traditional British cuisine, such as roast beef, with cloves, Chili pepper, and other Indian spices....
 dish of kedgeree
Kedgeree

Kedgeree is a dish consisting of flaked fish , boiled rice, egg and butter. The dish originated from Scotland and was taken to India by Scottish troops during the British Raj, where it was adapted and adopted as part of Indian cuisine....
.

hdi is described in the writings of Afanasiy Nikitin, a Russian adventurer who travelled to the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
 in the 15th century.






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Khichdi (also khichri, khichdee, khichadi, khichuri, khichari and many other variants) ( khica?i, khic?i, khichuri
Romanization of Bengali

The Romanization of Bengali, or the representation of the Bengali language in the Latin script. While different standards for romanization have been proposed for Bengali, these have not been adopted with the degree of uniformity seen in languages such as Japanese language or Sanskrit language....
) is a South Asian rice dish made from rice
Rice

Rice is a staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in tropical Latin America, and East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, making it the second-most consumed cereal grain, after maize....
 and lentil
Lentil

The lentil or daal or pulse is a bushy annual plant of the Fabaceae family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 15 inches tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each....
s (dal
Dal

Dal or Pappu is a preparation of pulse s which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick, spicy stew prepared therefrom, a mainstay of Indian cuisine, Cuisine of Pakistan, and Cuisine of Bangladesh cuisine....
). Khichdi is commonly considered to be South Asia's comfort food
Comfort food

The term comfort food refers to a variety of familiar, simple foods that are usually home-cooked or eaten at informal restaurants....
, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian cuisine

Anglo-Indian cuisine is the often distinct cuisine of the Anglo-Indian community in both United Kingdom and India.Some Anglo-Indian dishes involve traditional British cuisine, such as roast beef, with cloves, Chili pepper, and other Indian spices....
 dish of kedgeree
Kedgeree

Kedgeree is a dish consisting of flaked fish , boiled rice, egg and butter. The dish originated from Scotland and was taken to India by Scottish troops during the British Raj, where it was adapted and adopted as part of Indian cuisine....
.

History

Khichdi is described in the writings of Afanasiy Nikitin, a Russian adventurer who travelled to the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
 in the 15th century. Khichdi was very popular with the Mughals, especially Jahangir
Jahangir

Nur-ud-din Salim Jahangir Born as Prince Muhammad Salim, he was the third and eldest surviving son of Mughal Empire Emperor Akbar. Akbar's twin sons, Hasan and Hussain, died in infancy....
. Ain-i-Akbari
Ain-i-Akbari

File:Court_of_Akbar_from_Akbarnama.jpgThe Ain-i-Akbari or the "Institutes of Akbar", is a 16th century, detailed document recording the administration of emperor Akbar's empire, written by his vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak....
, a 16th century document, written by Mughal Emperor, Akbar’s vizier
Vizier

A Vizier , is a term for a high-ranking political advisor or minister, often to a Muslim monarch such as a Caliph, or Sultan. It sometimes refers to ministers and advisors of the Persian Empire's Shahs....
, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak
Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak

File:Court_of_Akbar_from_Akbarnama.jpgShaikh 'Abu al-Fazl ibn Mubarak' also known as 'Abu'l-Fazl', 'Abu'l Fadl' and 'Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami' was the vizier of the great Mughal Empire emperor Akbar, and author of the Akbarnama, the official history of Akbar's reign in three volumes, the third volume is known as the Ain-e-Akbari'...
, mentions the recipe for Khichri, which gives seven variations .

Regional variations

Khichdi is commonly served with another Indian dish called kadhi. Other common accompaniments are papads
Papadum

The papadum is a thin Indian cuisine and Pakistani cuisine Wafer , sometimes described as a cracker or flatbread.An important part of South Asian cuisine, recipes vary from region to region and family to family, but typically it is made from lentil, chickpea, black gram or rice flour....
, beguni
Beguni

Beguni is a Bengali cuisine snack made of eggplant slices deep fried in batter. The similar European version is known as aubergine fritters....
 (deep fried eggplants in a besan
Gram flour

Gram flour is a flour made from ground chana dal, a legume otherwise known as chickpeas. It is also known as nokhodchi , besan [pronounced 'bay-sum', kadala maavu , "Senaga Pindi" , kadale hittu , chickpea flour, nohut unu , garbanzo flour and harina de garbanzo ....
 batter), ghee
Ghee

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in the Indian subcontinent, and is important in South Asian cuisine and Middle Eastern cuisine ....
 (clarified butter), achar
Indian pickle

Indian pickles are a variety of spicy pickled side dishes or condiments popular in the Indian Subcontinent, in Southeast Asia, and in many other areas among ethnically South Asian communities....
 (oil based pickle), and yoghurt
Yoghurt

Yoghurt, yogurt, yoghourt, youghurt or yogourt , is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk....
.

Khichdi is a very popular dish across Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
, northern India
North India

Northern India is a loosely defined region in the northern part of India. The exact meaning of the term varies by usage. The dominant geographical features of northern India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from Tibet and Central Asia....
, and Bangladesh
Bangladesh

, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south....
. The dish is widely prepared in many Indian states like Gujarat
Gujarat

Gujarat is a States and territories of India in western India. Gujarat borders Pakistan to the north west and the state of Rajasthan to the north and northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the east, Maharashtra and the Union territory of Diu, Daman District, India, Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the south....
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a States and territories of India located on the western coast of India. Maharashtra is a part of Western India. It is India's List of states of India by area and List of states of India by population....
, and Bengal
Bengal

Bengal , is a historical and geographical region in the northeast of South Asia. Today it is mainly divided between the independent sovereign nation of the Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal in India, although some regions of the previous kingdoms of Bengal are now part of the neighboring Indian states of Bihar, Assam, Tripura and Oris...
 (where it is called khichuri
Romanization of Bengali

The Romanization of Bengali, or the representation of the Bengali language in the Latin script. While different standards for romanization have been proposed for Bengali, these have not been adopted with the degree of uniformity seen in languages such as Japanese language or Sanskrit language....
). Vegetables such as cauliflower
Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed....
, potato
Potato

The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial plant Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family. The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well....
, and green pea
Pea

A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the legume Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Although treated as a vegetable in cooking, it is botanically a fruit....
s are commonly added. A popular variant in coastal Maharashtra
Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a States and territories of India located on the western coast of India. Maharashtra is a part of Western India. It is India's List of states of India by area and List of states of India by population....
 is made with prawns.

In Bengali
Bengali cuisine

Bengali cuisine is a style of food preparation originating in Bengal, a region in the eastern South Asia which is now divided between the Indian state of West Bengal and the independent country of Bangladesh....
 tradition it is customary to cook khichuri on rainy days. It is also traditional in Bengal to cook khichuri as a lunch at the Saraswati Puja during the month of February - the invocation of the goddess of learning - and for other popular pujas such as Durga Puja
Durga Puja

Durga Puja , also referred as Durgotsab is an annual Bengali festival that celebrates worship of Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi , Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami and Bijoya Dashami....
.

While khichuri is cooked as a rather rich gourmet delicacy in Bengal, it is cooked very differently in northern and western India, where it is considered a very plain bland dish usually served to people who are ill. Khichdi is also the first solid that babies are introduced to. Rice and lentils are simmered till mushy, seasoned with turmeric and salt and fed to infants to introduce them to "adult" food. Khichdi is also popular in Pakistan
Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
. It is especially cooked for children and people with stomach problems as it is easily digestible compared to other Pakistani dishes which usually have meat and are also spicy. Although it has a similar name, khichra
Khichra

Khichra , is a variation of the dish, Haleem, and is extremely popular in Pakistan and among Muslims in India.Khichra is made of wheat, meat , lentils and spices....
 is actually a variation of haleem
Haleem

Haleem is a thick Persian Empire, Pakistani cuisine and North Indian high calorie dish. In Anatolia, Iran, the Caucasus region and northern Iraq, types of haleem are Keshkek and Harees....
 and is not to be confused with Khichri.

Khichdi is also a favourite campfire food owing to the convenience of being able to cook the dish in a single simmering pot.

Khichdi when well cooked with little oil is considered as a light and nutritious dish and is especially popular amongst many who follow an ayurvedic diet practices or nature cure.

In popular culture

In India, the term khichdi is also used broadly to imply a mish-mash or a mixture of sorts, similar to hodge-podge
Hodge-podge

Hodge-podge or Hodgepodge may refer to:* Hodge-Podge , a fictitious character from the comic strip Bloom County* Hodge-Podge , a mutton soup...
 in English & khichuri (rice dish made of rice,dal with or without vegetables,meat) in Bangla. For example, a classifieds portal in India goes by the name khichdee.com because it is a "mixture" of advertisements of all types.

Khichdi is also the name of a popular comedy TV serial in India.

See also

  • Kushari
    Kushari

    Kushari, often transliterated as kosheri or koshari, is a popular traditional Egyptian Egyptian cuisine. It consists of a base of rice, brown lentils, chickpeas, macaroni, and a topping of Egyptian garlic and vinegar and spicy tomato sauce ....
    , the Egyptian equivalent
  • Congee
    Rice congee

    Rice congee is a type of rice porridge that is eaten in many Asian countries. The word congee is possibly derived from the Dravidian languages word kanji.The Webster's Dictionary lists the etymology of "Congee" as coming from India...
    , a type of rice porridge eaten in many Asian countries
  • Kedgeree
    Kedgeree

    Kedgeree is a dish consisting of flaked fish , boiled rice, egg and butter. The dish originated from Scotland and was taken to India by Scottish troops during the British Raj, where it was adapted and adopted as part of Indian cuisine....
    , the Anglo-Indian version
  • Khichra
    Khichra

    Khichra , is a variation of the dish, Haleem, and is extremely popular in Pakistan and among Muslims in India.Khichra is made of wheat, meat , lentils and spices....


External links