The light dish, prepared in myriad ways, is the perfect lunch during summers
Almost every region in the country has its own take on khichdi. In fact, visit any household and you may find that variations exist there as well. While a piping hot bowl of the dish is a feast in cold weather, it is also ideal for those seeking a light lunch during summers. Chef Kedar Bobde, Executive Corporate Chef, deGustibus Hospitality, believes that the fare makes for a healthy meal in the sweltering heat. “Its lightly seasoned and wholesome flavours make it light on the stomach,” he says. Keep it simple or add veggies and meats to it to make it slightly more complex — the humble food is versatile enough to let you experiment with it. Here’s how some of our city restaurants have lent their signature touch to it...
1. Karnataka Mutton Khichdi
)
Unpolished brown rice and cubed goat meat is cooked with cardamom and cloves and served with fresh mint leaves, green chillies, fried onion, pickle and papad.
At: Neel Indian Kitchen & Bar, Powai
2. Naga Chili Khichdi
)
One of the hottest chillies in the world, the Naga Chili is used in making this dish. Steamed rice is spiked with this fiery chilli, which balances the traditional, subtle taste of khichdi, with the spice.
At: Gymkhana 91 Bar and Kitchen
3. Sabudana Patio ni Khichdi
)
This is a sweet, tangy and spicy khichdi and if you’re a Parsi, it’s sure to remind you of the Prawn Patio made at your home.
At: SodaBottle OpenerWala, all outlets
4. Butter chicken/Paneer Khichdi
)
Creamy Moong Daal Khichdi is prepared with butter chicken or with paneer and served with khichdi ke paanch yaar — ghee, papad, dahi, kachumbar and achaar.
At: Monkey Bar, Bandra West
5. Khichdi
)
Since almost every region in the country has a different version of the dish, Trèsind has selected 20 different ingredients from 20 parts of India, which are added one by one in the prepared khichdi. Some of the ingredients include saffron from Kashmir, green apple from Himachal Pradesh, butter from Punjab, raw mango from Uttar Pradesh, beaten chickpeas from Bihar, mustard oil from Bengal, spring onion from Arunachal Pradesh, chilli from Assam, papaya chutney from Gujarat, black pepper from Kerala, Madras gunpowder from Tamil Nadu and gongura pickle from Andhra Pradesh, among others. This is then served with yoghurt topped with khichiya and papad churi.
At: Trèsind, BKC
6. Raw Mango & Broken Wheat Khichdi
)
Curated by Chef Rajiv Bharadwaj, Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Karjat
Raw Mango – 50 gms
Broken Wheat – 100 gms
Green Moong Chhilka Dal – 30 gms
Jeera – 5 gms
Heeng – 2 gms
Desi Ghee – 40 gms
Cinnamon Stick – 1no, Small
Tomato – 30 gms
Onion – 30 gms
Haldi – 5 gms
Salt – To Taste
Green Chilli – 10 gms
Recipe:
Soak broken wheat and dal in clean water for 40 mins. Cut half ripe mango into small pieces. Put desi ghee in a pressure cooker and add jeera and heeng/haldi/green chilli to it. Now add chopped onion and tomato to the cooker and cook for a minute. Add soaked broken wheat and dal to it and cook for two whistles. Set the cooker aside and take the khichdi out. Cut mango pieces in a frying pan and cook for about two mins on slow flame. Add the mango pieces to the khichdi mangoes and stir it for five mins. Add salt as per your taste. Serve the dish with masala dahi.
