Khichdi gets ultimate boost, to be promoted as 'brand India food'

Khichdi, India's ultimate comfort food, is set to get major boost.

The dish will be promoted as 'brand India food' during the the World Food India 2017.

The mega event organised by the Ministry of Food Processing will also see India's best chefs coming together to make 800 kg of Khichdi.

I encourage everyone to head over to the @WorldFoodIndia mega event this weekend for a truly breathtaking experience. #WorldFoodIndia pic.twitter.com/loHiunz6HU

— Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) October 31, 2017

"Khichdi is the wonder staple food of India and is considered the healthiest prepared food in India and it is being eaten across length and breadth of India by rich and poor," Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal told reporters at the curtain raiser event.

Khichdi symbolises India's great culture of unity in diversity at its best. Therefore, Khichdi has been selected the Brand India Food, she added.

The ministry feels that the dish is favourite of every person cutting across all boundaries of class or religion. The 'queen of food' essentially made of rice and lentils has been party of India's culinary history.

Some historians believe that the British Raj was so fascinated by Khichri that they took it with them and adopted it as 'kedgeree'.

The humble dish is prepared and loved in its various avatars across India.

While North India calls it Khichdi or Khichri, in southern parts, the dish is known as Huggi, Pongal and Pulagam.

From being cooked in its sabudana variation during Navratri, West Bengal likes its Khichdi  along with fried fish and vegetables.

With the announcement on November 3 or 4, Khichdi would officially become the national dish of India at the World Food India event.

The bumper show will be attended by over 50 global CEOs and 200 companies.

Many food giants such as Nestle,The Hershey Company and GSK Consumer Healthcare would participate in the event.  

(with PTI input)