In India, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti festival, Khichdi is prepared as Prasad in various provinces. Somewhere it is called Tai Pongal, somewhere Khechada, somewhere Mathal and somewhere BC Bele Bhaat. Whatever may be the name, the real pleasure of eating it comes only with curd, ghee, papad and pickles. It has also been said – the four friends of Khichdi – curd, ghee, papad and pickle.
Khichdi was also very much liked by Mughal emperors Jahangir and Aurangzeb. Not only this, the British also brought this nutritious food from India to Britain where today it is eaten fondly for breakfast.
Many such interesting information about Khichdi has been given in the book ‘Poshan Utsav’ published by Deendayal Research Institute, New Delhi on the diverse traditions and culture of food in India.
There is a rich tradition of consuming Khichdi as Prasad in different parts of the country on the festival of Sankranti and Khichdi being popular with different names across the country is also mentioned in historical documents.
The book notes that the Greek ambassador Seleucus mentioned the popularity of lentils and rice in the Indian subcontinent, as well as the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta who described dishes made from rice and mung beans during his visit to India in the 1550s. Khichdi has been described.
The book claims that the tradition of Khichdi is so old that Afanasy Nikitin, who visited India in the 15th century, also wrote about Khichdi.
According to the book, “Khichdi was very popular in the Mughal Empire, especially during the time of Jahangir. Even Aurangzeb loved Khichdi.”
According to the book, the British brought khichdi from India to their country in the 19th century where it became a breakfast dish in England under the name kedgeree.
Quoting history, the book says that during the time of Nawab Uddin Shah of Awadh in the 19th century, almonds and pistachios were used to enhance the taste of Khichdi and the Nizams of Hyderabad also gave great importance to Khichdi in their royal dishes. .
According to the article on Khichdi, from Kanyakumari to Kheer Bhawani, from Koteshwar to Kamakhya, from Jagannath to Kedarnath, from Somnath to Kashi Vishwanath, from Sammed Shikhar to Shravanabelagola, from Bodhgaya to Sarnath, from Amritsar to Patna Sahib, from Andaman to Ajmer. From Lakshadweep to Leh, the whole of India is a lover of Khichdi in some way or the other.
The book says that “Khichdi is a food which has great flexibility. The first food of infancy is Khichdi. Even in the last moments of life, Khichdi is the support. In case of illness or even after illness, Khichdi is a easily digestible food. In this form, it works like a mahram on the digestive system.
The book says that thus Khichdi is the name of a festival throughout India. Even if the first Gogras is to be left in the memory of the deceased person, Khichdi. And now Khichdi has found a prominent place in the exotic menus of luxury resorts too.
In the article, while mentioning the popular idiom ‘Birbal ki Khichdi’ regarding Khichdi, it has been said that Khichdi must have been popular even during the time of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
The article also uses the legend that Maratha warrior Shivaji was inspired by Khichdi to change his strategic strategy after some of his unsuccessful campaigns. There is a similar story about Maharana Pratap – that is, Pratap, the ruler of Khichdi from Mewar to Marathwada.
According to the book, Khichdi is not just a food but is the leader of the entire culture of India and the Indian food style. Its four friends are called – curd, ghee, papad and pickle. The real pleasure of eating Khichdi comes only when it is eaten with hands instead of a spoon.
Information has been given in the book that the festival related to Khichdi is known by different names in the provinces of the country. For example, in Tamil Nadu it is called Tai Pongal or Uzhavar Tirunal. In Gujarat and Uttarakhand, Khichdi is prepared as Prasad on the festival of Uttarayan. There is a tradition of making Khichdi on the festival of Bhogali Bihu in Assam, Shishur Sankrat in Kashmir Valley, Lohri in Punjab and Makar transition festival in Karnataka.
In ‘Poshan Utsav’, detailed details of the festivals related to Khichdi and other grains and spices used in them in different states of the country are also given.
The book states that in Himachal Pradesh, Ala/Bala Khichdi is prepared with gram, roasted coriander and buttermilk while in Garhwal, Uttarakhand, Khichdi is prepared with urad dal, sesame seeds and hot spices.
According to the book, Amla Khichdi is very popular in Uttar Pradesh, whereas in Odisha, Khichdi is called Khechada where it is usually made with ginger and asafoetida. Khichdi is also an important dish in the Mahaprasad of Jagannath temple. At many places, Khichdi is served with pickle, curd, potato bharta, brinjal bharta, dalma and chutney.
According to Poshan Utsav, Khichdi is the main food on Sankranti and other festivals in Andhra Pradesh. Khichdi is rich due to the use of cashew nuts here. In Kerala, this Khichdi is called Mathan and the main ingredient in it is Mathan i.e. red pumpkin. In this region, tamarind, coconut and curry leaves further increase its nutritional value.
Giving more information in the book, it is said that in Karnataka this Khichdi is called BC Bele Bhaat which is a very popular dish. Haggi Khichdi is also very popular here and is specially prepared for the Sri Krishna Matha Festival in Karnataka.
Its unique names prevalent in different states are also mentioned in the book. Mong Khechir in Jammu and Kashmir, Bajra Khichda in Rajasthan, Ja Doi in North Eastern states, Manipuri Khichdi, Kali Dal Khichdi, Valachi Khichdi in Maharashtra, Khichuri in Bengal, Ven Pongal, Khara Pongal, Milagu Pongal and Sakkarai Pongal in Andhra Pradesh, In India it is called Pulagam, Keema Khichdi and in Kerala it is called Mathan Khichdi.
This interesting information is given in the book that Khichdi is very popular outside India also. Khichdi is cooked on Paush Sankranti in Bangladesh, Songkaran in Thailand, Moha Sangkran in Cambodia, Pimalao in Laos, Pongal, Uzhavar Tirunal in Sri Lanka and Maghe Sankranti in Nepal.
It is said that Khichdi was the main food for the soldiers in Rajasthan and for this a separate tax was taken from the villagers which was called ‘Khichda Laag’.
According to the book, in some big states like Gujarat, the names of Khichdi change in different parts. Ram Khichdi is eaten with gusto in Kathiawar of Gujarat, Sola Khichdi in Surat and Bhaduchi Vaghreli Khichdi among the Parsi community.