Khichṛī |
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| Origin | |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Indian subcontinent |
| Region or state | Punjab, Gujarat, Orissa, Haryana, Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Sindh |
| Dish 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 of kedgeree.
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The word khicṛī is derived from Sanskrit खिच्चा khiccā,[1] a dish of rice and pulses.[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.
The Greek ambassador of Seleucus mentioned that rice with pulses is very popular among people of South Asia. 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.[4] There is an anecdotal story featuring Akbar, Birbal and khichri.
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.
Khitchuri is traditional diet and daily meal of Kutchi people and they can make several variety of dishes using Kitchari.
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.
Bisi Bele Bath or "Hot Lentil Rice" is famous variant of Kichdi from Karnataka, a state in Southern India. Pongal, a dish similar to khichri, is popular in Southern India, primarily in Tamilnadu. It is primarily made of rice and lentils, and seasoned with black pepper, cumin, and cashews.
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.
Khichri is 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 and 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 mess.
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