Khichdi (dish)

File:Yummy Sabudana Khichdi.jpg is a popular food during Shivratri or Navratri fasts.]]

The word Khichdī is derived from Sanskrit {{lang|hi|खिच्चा}} {{transliteration|hi|ISO|khiccā}},{{cite book |title=The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-19-864339-5 |editor=McGregor |editor-first=R.S. |editor-link=R. S. McGregor |page=237}}{{cite news |date=2021-07-17 |title=Tale of the humble 'Khichdi' |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/the-tale-of-humble-khichdi/articleshow/75610905.cms |access-date=2023-08-15 |issn=0971-8257}} a dish of rice and legumes.{{cite book |title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary |last=Monier-Williams |first=Monier |author-link=Monier Monier-Williams |year=1995 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |location=Delhi |isbn=81-208-0065-6 |page=339 |url=http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/index.html |access-date=2010-06-29}}

Some divergence of transliteration may be noted in the third consonant in the word khicṛī. The sound is the retroflex flap {{IPAblink|ɽ}}, which is written in Hindi with the Devanagari letter ⟨{{lang|hi|ड़}}⟩, and in Urdu script with the Perso-Arabic letter ⟨{{lang|ur|{{nq|ڑ}}}}⟩. In Hindustani phonology, the etymological origin of the retroflex flap was {{IPAslink|ɖ}} when it occurred between vowels.{{cite book |title=The Indo-Aryan Languages |last=Masica |first=Colin P. |author-link=Colin Masica |year=1991 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0-521-23420-4 |pages=97–98 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Itp2twGR6tsC&pg=PP1 |access-date=2010-06-29}} Hence in Devanagari the letter ⟨{{lang|hi|ड}}⟩, representing {{IPA|/ɖ/}}, was adapted to write {{IPA|/ɽ/}} by adding a diacritic under it. In Urdu script, the phonological quality of the flap was represented by adapting the letter ⟨{{lang|ur|{{nq|ر}}}}⟩, representing {{IPA|/r/}}, with a diacritic added above it to indicate the retroflex quality. The occurrence of this consonant in the word {{transl|hi|ISO|khicṛī}} has given rise to two alternative spellings in English: khichri, which reflects its phonology, and khichdi, which reflects its etymology.

The Greek king Seleucus during his campaign in India (305-303 BC), mentioned that rice with pulses is very popular among people of the Indian subcontinent.{{cite web |last=Gandhi |first=Malar |date=15 April 2012 |title=Khichdi–A Comfort Food – India Currents |url=http://www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2012/04/15/khichdi-comfort-food |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130216062547/http://www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2012/04/15/khichdi-comfort-food |archive-date=16 February 2013 |access-date=1 January 2015}} Strabo also notes that Indian food mainly consisted of rice porridge and a beverage made of rice, presently called arak.{{cite conference |last=Reddy |first=Anjana |title=Archaeology of Indo-Gulf Relations in the Early Historic Period: The Ceramic Evidence |url=https://www.academia.edu/20135170 |year=2016 |editor=Himanshu Prabha Ray |book-title=Bridging the Gulf: Maritime Cultural Heritage of the Western Indian Ocean |location=New Delhi |publisher=Manohar Publishers |page=68 |isbn=978-93-5098-143-6}} The Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta mentions khichdi as a dish in India composed of rice and mung beans, during his stay around 1350.{{cite web |last=Husain |first=Mabdi |date=1976 |orig-date=1953 |title=Rehla of Ibn Battuta |url=https://archive.org/stream/TheRehlaOfIbnBattuta/231448482-The-Rehla-of-Ibn-Battuta_djvu.txt |access-date=21 March 2015 |website=Internet Archive}} khichdi is described in the writings of Afanasiy Nikitin, a Russian adventurer who travelled to the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century. It was very popular with the Mughals, especially Jahangir. Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document written by Mughal Emperor Akbar's vizier, Abu'l Fadl, mentions the recipe for khichdi, which gives seven variations.[http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702015%26ct%3D50%26rqs%3D666 Recipes for Dishes] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727161648/http://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile=00702015&ct=50&rqs=666 |date=2011-07-27}} Ain-i-Akbari, by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak. English tr. by Heinrich Blochmann and Colonel Henry Sullivan Jarrett, 1873–1907. The Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, Volume I, Chapter 24, page 59. "3. K'hichri. Rice, split dal, and ghee 5 s. of each; ⅓ s. salt: this gives seven dishes." There is an anecdotal story about khichdi featuring Akbar and his court advisor, Birbal.{{cite web |title=Cooking The Khichdi is one of Birbal Stories. |url=http://www.english-for-students.com/Cooking-The-Khichdi.html |access-date=1 January 2015 |website=English for Students}}

The Anglo-Indian dish kedgeree is thought to derive from khichri.Anne Chotzinoff Grossman and Lisa Grossman Thomas (1997) Lobscouse and Spotted Dog; Which It's a Gastronomic Companion to the Aubrey/Maturin Novels, Norton, p. 12. {{ISBN|978-0-393-32094-7}}{{cite web |url=http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/buttery-kedgeree,1284,RC.html |title=Buttery Kedgeree |access-date=2008-03-10 |last=Smith |first=Delia |work=Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course}}

Khichdi is a very popular dish across the Indian subcontinent which consists of, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The dish is also widely prepared in many Indian states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra.{{cite web |last=Chatterjee |first=Priyadarshini |title=From Kashmir to Karnataka, khichdi is the one true underestimated food of India |website=Scroll.in |date=2017-02-10 |url=https://scroll.in/magazine/823997/from-kashmir-to-karnataka-khichdi-is-the-one-true-underestimated-food-of-india |access-date=2017-02-10}} Vegetables such as cauliflower, potato, and green peas are commonly added.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Hindus, mainly from north/northwest, who avoid eating grains during fasting, eat Sabudana khichri made from sago.Sean Williams, 2015, [https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1135040087 "The Ethnomusicologists' Cookbook, Volume II: Complete Meals from around the world"], Routledge Taylor & Francis group, page 37.Uma Aggarwal, 2009, [https://books.google.com/books?isbn=8184244746 "The Exquisite World of Indian Cuisine"], Allied Publications, page 106. In the southern part of India, however, the word khichri is not that popular. While people of Tamil Nadu and Andhra regions cook Pongal, and Kannadigas prepare {{transliteration|hi|ISO|Huggi}} which is mung dal khichdi and {{transliteration|hi|ISO|Bisi bele bhath}}, a pigeon pea variation with vegetables, Keralites have no similar dish.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Khichdi was the inspiration for Anglo-Indian kedgeree{{cite news |last=Chatterjee |first=Rhitu |date=2017-07-20 |title='Khichuri': An Ancient Indian Comfort Dish With A Global Influence |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/07/20/527945413/khichuri-an-ancient-indian-comfort-dish-with-a-global-influence |access-date=2022-10-09}} Khichdi is a popular traditional staple in Haryana, specially in the rural areas. Haryanvi khichdi is made from pearl millet and mung dal (split mung bean) pounded in mortar (unkhal), and often eaten by mixing with warm ghee or lassi, or even yogurt.1990, [https://books.google.com/books?id=3SYLAQAAIAAJ "Haryana District Gazetteers: Sonipat"], Government of Haryana publication, Page 83.

1912, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8jluAAAAMAAJ "Haryana District Gazetteers: Delhi district gazetteer"], Government of India Gazetteers Organisation, Page 90.1987, [https://books.google.com/books?id=BCYLAQAAIAAJ "Haryana District Gazetteers: Hisar"], Government of Haryana publication, Page 65.Charmaine O' Brien, 2013, [https://books.google.com/books?id=BGhBAgAAQBAJ&dq=haryana+bajra+khichri&pg=PT48 "The Penguin Food Guide to India"], Penguin Books Penguin Books. Sometimes, jowar is also mixed with bajra and mung dal.

The Hyderabadi Muslim community, of the erstwhile Hyderabad State, in present-day Telangana, Marathwada, and Kalyana-Karnataka regions, make khichdi as a common breakfast dish, and is an important part of Hyderabadi cuisine.{{cite web |url=https://talkistania.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/hyderabadi-brunch-khichdi-khatta-kheema/ |title=Hyderabadi Brunch: Khichdi Khatta Kheema |date=2013-02-15 |website=talkistania |access-date=2016-08-22}} The dish is called khichri, kheema, khatta, or other switch-around versions of the previous, named after the three parts of the meal, Khichri, ground beef, and a sour sauce, made of tamarind and sesame.{{cite web |url=http://mykitchenaroma.blogspot.ca/2013/04/khichdi-keema-khatta.html |title=My Kitchen's Aroma: Khichdi Keema Khatta |website=mykitchenaroma.blogspot.ca |date=28 April 2013 |access-date=2016-08-22}}

Khichra is similar to haleem, a meat dish, while khichra is a vegetarian dish with rice and pulses or lentils, with no spices.{{citation|url=http://www.journeykitchen.com/2014/02/haleemkhichda-wheat-berries-meat-and.html?m=1|title=Haleem/Khichda - Wheat berries, Meat and Lentils Porridge|website=journeykitchen|access-date=27 January 2023}}

In 2017, Indian media unofficially designated it as the "national dish", as it is being globally promoted by the government of India as "queen of all foods". The report that the government may designate khichri as India's "national dish" brought significant ridicule from the opposition politicians.{{cite web |date=2017-11-02 |title=Nothing cooking: Khichdi not national dish, says minister after Twitter storm |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nothing-cooking-khichdi-not-national-dish-says-minister-after-twitter-storm/story-m88Y723Vh2kJM5n7bwNUvN.html |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=Hindustan Times}}

However, India's Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal clarified that while Khichdi is considered nutritious and healthy food in India, the government did not have any plans to designate a national food.{{cite news |last=IANS |date=2017-11-01 |title=Government to designate 'khichdi' as national dish |work=Business Standard India |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/government-to-designate-khichdi-as-national-dish-117110101260_1.html |access-date=2022-10-09}}{{cite web |date=2 November 2017 |agency=PTI |title='Fictitious' Khichdi Cooked Up, Says Minister On National Dish Buzz |url=https://www.ndtv.com/food/fictitious-says-union-minister-harsimrat-kaur-badal-khichdi-wont-be-the-national-dish-1769941 |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=NDTV}}{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/khichdi-not-national-food-clarifies-harsimrat-kaur-badal/article19966572.ece |title=Khichdi not national food, clarifies Harsimrat Kaur Badal |date=2 November 2017 |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=22 February 2020}}

Khichdi has lent its name to media synonymous with ensembles or potpourri as depicted in the popular culture through movies such as Khichdi: The Movie, and TV sitcoms such as Khichdi and Instant Khichdi.

The dish has been cooked at both MasterChef Australia{{cite web |last=Keshri |first=Shweta |date=May 27, 2021 |title=MasterChef Australia judges bowled over by Bengali Khichuri and Begun Bharta. Viral video |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/television/international-shows/story/masterchef-australia-judges-bowled-over-by-bengali-khichuri-and-begun-bharta-viral-video-1807737-2021-05-27 |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=India Today}} and America.

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File:Khichuri, a bangali dish.jpg|Khichuri, Bangladeshi-style

File:Korai Khichuri.jpg|Kadhai khichri

File:Coconut Khichdi.jpg|Coconut khichdi

{{Commons category|Khichri}}

• Kedgeree

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