There’s no question of a national dish, khichdi in itself is an epitome of homogeneity
Khichdi is the most revered dish of this country. That it dogged the headlines last week, when the rumor mill spread that it would become the national food, justifies its importance. In the unnecessary hullabaloo that exploded the social media, some stereotyped the cuisine, others asked if they have to stand up and sing the national anthem every time they had khichdi, some even came out in vocal support of other dishes like samosa and biryani being equal contenders to become the national dish. But the fact remains that for a vast country like ours, which boasts about diverse multi-cuisine, such generalizations do not aurgur well. And thankfully, for all the good reasons, Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal cleared the air almost instantly, making it clear that khichdi would just be the brand food of India and indeed, it became the nation’s pride at the World Food India fair yesterday where around 918 kg of the dish was served to the orphans and guests alike. Nevertheless, it’s good that ‘khichdi’ made a ‘khichdi’ and came back to the limelight after centuries. literally, khichdi means a ‘mess’ and represents the khichdi of castes, communities and religion.
Ironically, it is the most comfortable food that is prepared with an easy mix of rice, lentil and spices — a well calculated proportion is all that is required. It is its versatile nature that it has millions of fans — the rich and the poor, the young and the old — all have fond memories associated with the staple food. From being a sanskari food, which is served asbhog to gods, to becoming a healing dish for bimaru patients, khichdi today has acquired culinary innovations and has surpassed the boundaries of religion. While some like it to be served it in it’s humblest avatar with a gentle taste, others prefer having it in a raucous form with a variety of accompaniments. And it is for the love of the yellow pot meal that every region in the country has a unique take of the dish. While the Gujaratis prefer having khichdi with basic ingredients, Bengalis pop up in pujo pandals to have khichuri simmered in huge handis for hours. The Tamils call it Pongal and the Hyderabadis call it bisi bele bath and prefer having it in a curried form. But the common strait that binds the dish across is that no one eats it without a splash of ghee. let’s not label it and let it enjoy its moment of glory in its original form. It is a simple, healthy and easy to cook and digest meal and has a healing touch. It should remain so. Nothing else is required.