Lonely Planet

Khichdi Comfort Food Reinvented

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A bowl of khichdi has for long been the one pot meal full of nutrients and this humble dish is now at the forefront of a spanking new makeover. The word khichdi is usually met with sighs and pangs considering its boring tag. However Chefs are on a mission to change that. Unofficially designated as the national dish of the country, the humble Khiccā (in Sanskrit) has come a long way.

Millet Khichdi  Fortune Park Hotels Ltd.
Millet Khichdi Fortune Park Hotels Ltd.

Experiments & More

Born with the aim of creating a differentiator in a rather cluttered market and curating consistent food experiences for everyday India, Khichdi Experiment has given a flavourful twist to India’s original comfort food. With 20 different varieties that incorporate local elements, ingredients and flavours, Khichdi Experiment caters to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian eaters. “As a truly Indian brand, we believe there is no other better dish to start our food journey with than Khichdi. In an endeavour to offer holistic experiences with food, we launched our first restaurant in Bengaluru and are also experimenting with different retail models, including a corporate kiosk, presence in malls, food trucks and on multiple delivery platforms,” says Pranay Jivrajka, CEO – Ola Foods. The team at Khichdi Experiment incidentally has spent much time understanding the Indian palate, while playing around with popular and evolving taste preferences. From the classic Plain Dal Khichdi to the Palak variant and even Bengali PanchPhoran Khichdi and Hyderabadi Khatte Dal ki Khichdi, each flavour is a play on classic dish from states across the country, with an added twist.

Multigrain Brown rice Khichdi
Multigrain Brown rice Khichdi

Multigrain Brown Rice Khichdi courtesy Chef Kuldeep Nahari, Proxy Bar and Café Hyderabad

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup rice
  • ¼ cup brown rice
  • ¾ cup arhar daal tuvar/ split pigeon pea lentils
  • ¼ cup split black urad daal black gram split lentil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic chopped
  • 2 green chilies slit
  • 1/4th cup dalia/broken wheat
  • 1 tbsp cup flax seeds
  • 1/4th cup yellow moong dal split
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • Salt and red pepper powder to taste
  • 2 tbsp ghee/oil

Method

Wash and soak all the grains, dal and rice in water for about 15-20 mins. Preferably, soak the Dalia and brown rice in hot water separately as it takes time to cook. In a heavy bottom stockpot or kadhai add in 2 tbsp of ghee/ oil and let it heat up. Add in cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add in the chopped garlic and sauté until light amber in colour and add in  green chilies, onions and sauté until translucent.

Optionally, about 50 gms each of diced vegetables like carrots, beans, green peas tomatoes may be added at this point. Add in turmeric, red chili powder and hing, salt to taste and black pepper. Add in the soaked lentils, rice, and broken wheat after straining into the kadhai. Stir until combined. Add in about 2.5 times of water in it and let it cook covered and simmered for at least 15-20 mins or until completely cooked. Garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot with papad, pickle and curd.

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