Khichdi Junction: Indigenous dish that conquered the taste buds of the universe for ages

In the 14th century, famous Moroccan traveller Ibn Batuta, whose favourite fruit in India was jackfruit, discovered a dish as indigenous as can be

Its name has its origins in the Sanskrit word khicca, a dish made of rice and legumes.

Mughals were no exception, and during his days of abstinence (vegetarian days), Akbar used to enjoy different types of Khichdis. Jahangir loved the spicy dryfruit version while Aurangzeb used to like Alamgiri khichdi mixed with egg and fish.

On a hot August in 1690, Job Charnock, whom some consider the founder of Calcutta, stopped for food on the Hooghly ghat where a local served him a delicious khichdi which blew his mind away. And how can he not like Khichdi. Even Queen Victoria wasfond of a masoor dal khichdi called ‘Malika’ Masoor.

No wonder a version exists in UK.

Kedgeree -is a rice dish with smoked fish, parsley, hard-boiled eggs and curry powder mix