Khichdi
 Khichṛī |
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | South Asia |
| Region or state | Bangladesh, India, Pakistan |
| Details | |
| Main ingredient(s) | Rice, lentils, spices |
Khichṛī (Hindustani pronunciation: [ˈkʰɪtʃɽi]), alternate spellings khichdi, khichri, khichdee, khichadi, khichuri, khichari, "kitcheree", "kitchree", and many other variants, (Hindi: खिचड़ी khicṛī,[1] Urdu: کھچڑی khicṛī, Oriya: ଖେଚେଡ଼ି khecheṛi, Bengali: খিচুড়ী khichuṛi, Gujarati: ખીચડી khichḍi) is a South Asian preparation made from rice and lentils (dal). Khichri is commonly considered to be a comfort food, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish kedgeree. Khichri is also thought to be the inspiration for the popular Egyptian dish, Kushari. Khichdi is originally from Bangladesh. Khichdi has no relation with the Keralite dish kichadi.
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Etymology and spelling [edit]
The word khicṛī is derived from Sanskrit खिच्चा khiccā,[1] a dish of rice and legumes.[2]
Some divergence of transliteration may be noted in the third consonant in the Hindi/Urdu word khicṛī. The sound is the retroflex flap [ɽ], which is written in Hindi with the Devanagari letter ड़, and in Urdu script with the Perso-Arabic letter ڑ.
In Hindi-Urdu phonology, the etymological origin of the retroflex flap was /ɖ/ when it occurred between vowels.[3] Hence in Devanagari the letter ड, representing /ɖ/, was adapted to write /ɽ/ by adding a diacritic under it. In Urdu script, the phonological quality of the flap was represented by adapting the letter ر, representing /r/, with a diacritic added above it to indicate the retroflex quality.
Although in IAST the Hindi letter ड़ is transliterated as <ṛ>, popular or nonstandard transliterations of Hindi use <d> for this sound, because etymologically it derives from ड /ɖ/. The occurrence of this consonant in the word khicṛī has given rise to two alternative spellings in English: khichdi, which reflects its etymology, and khichri, which reflects its phonology.
History [edit]
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This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2011) |
The Greek ambassador of Seleucus mentioned that rice with pulses is very popular among people of South Asia.[4] Khichdi is described in the writings of Afanasiy Nikitin, a Russian adventurer who travelled to the South Asia in the 15th century. Khichri was very popular with the Mughals, especially Jahangir. Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th century document, written by Mughal Emperor, Akbar’s vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, mentions the recipe for khichdi, which gives seven variations.[5] There is an anecdotal story featuring Akbar, Birbal and khichri.[6]
Regional variations [edit]
Khichdi is commonly served with a side of kadhi. Other common accompaniments are papads, beguni (deep fried eggplants in a besan batter), ghee (clarified butter), achar (oil based pickle), and yogurt.
Khichri is a very popular dish across Pakistan, northern India, eastern India and Bangladesh. The dish is widely prepared in many Indian states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Bengal (where it is called Bengali: খিচুড়ী khichuri). Vegetables such as cauliflower, potato, and green peas are commonly added. A popular variant in coastal Maharashtra is made with prawns.
In Bengali tradition it is customary to cook khichuri (Bengali: খিচুড়ী) on rainy days. It is also traditional in Bengal to cook khichuri for 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.
Khichari is the traditional diet and a daily meal of Kutchi people, and they can make several varieties of dishes using khichari.
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. Khichri is also popular in Pakistan where it is considered a light dish that can be served to sick people. 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 is actually a variation of haleem and is not to be confused with khichdi.
Khichri 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 a little oil, is considered a light and nutritious dish, and is especially popular amongst many who follow an ayurvedic diet or nature cure.
Khechidi is very popular in Orissa. There are varieties of khechidi in Orissa like adahengu khechidi (ginger-asafoetida khichdi), moong dal khichdi, etc. Adahengu khechidi is a popular dish in the Jagannath Temple as well. At home, moong dal khechidi and other khechidis are served with pampad, pickle, curd, aaloo bharta, or baigan bharta, raita, dalma, and chutney.
Khichri is also very popular in Bihar. It is made with rice, dal, and garam masala, cooked into a semi-paste like consistency and eaten with lots of ghee, baigan ka bharta, aaloo ka bharta (mashed potato with onions, green chilli, salt and mustard oil), tomato chutney (blanched tomato, onion, green chilli, grated ginger and mustard oil), pāpaṛ, tilori (a fried snack), and mango pickle. It is customary to eat khichdi every Saturday in Bihar, and also at dinner during Makar Sankranti. A popular variation in khichri in the winter months is the addition of cauliflower and green peas.
Bisi bele bath, 'hot lentil rice', is a famous variant of khichdi from Karnataka, a state in Southern India. Pongal, a dish similar to khichri, is popular in Southern India, primarily in Tamil Nadu. It is primarily made of rice and lentils, and seasoned with black pepper, cumin, and cashews.
Khichra and khichri [edit]
Khichra is similar to haleem and is a meat dish, while khichri is a vegetarian dish with rice and pulses or lentils and with no spices.
Trivia [edit]
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Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on |
Khichri is a very popular dish of Suratis in southern Gujarat. It is served with special kadhi and adon dishes such as Surati undhia and vangan na ravaiya.
Khichdi is also the name of a popular comedy TV series in India, as well as the Benarsi local name of the Makar Sankranti festival.
In Bengal, cooks and homemakers often prepare this dish with many ingredients mixed with it. That is one of the reasons the idiom joga khichuri is used in Bangla to mean a mess.
It is a very popular dish among the Indians of America, but their children, the 1st generation indian-americans often object to being served this dish, as it has many interesting flavors that are not easy to adapt to.
See also [edit]
- Kushari, the Egyptian equivalent
- Congee, a type of rice porridge eaten in many Asian countries
- Kedgeree, the Anglo-Indian version
- Khichra
- Pongal
References [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Khichdi |
- ^ a b R. S. McGregor, ed. (1997). The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-19-864339-5.
- ^ Monier-Williams, Monier (1995). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. p. 339. ISBN 81-208-0065-6. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
- ^ Masica, Colin P. (1991). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Cambridge University Press. pp. 97–98. ISBN 0-521-23420-4. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
- ^ Khichdi–A Comfort Food
- ^ Recipes for Dishes Ain-i-Akbari, by Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak. English tr. by H. Blochmann and Colonel H. S. 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.”
- ^ http://www.english-for-students.com/Cooking-The-Khichdi.html
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