The Khichdi Dialogue #NuptialNarratives

Khichdi, an Indian dish which some people absolutely adore while some absolutely detest. Nevertheless, its aroma raises a bit of nostalgia in every adult’s heart. I used to be the latter one until recently when I understood the real meaning of the word ‘comfort’ in comfort-food was for the person who is in charge of actually cooking it!

I come from a household where Khichdi meant putting rice and dal (be it arhar, moong or urad) together in a pressure cooker with measured water for the desired consistency and some basic spices for the taste buds. That’s it. One or two whistles later, we had a quick meal ready to eat with Curd/ Achar / Papad / Chutney. Even just one of those supplements would do. Simple life, isn’t it?

Lo! And behold! I get married to discover that in some households, it’s not a dish. It’s a full-blown event. Ah! The quiet surprises of marriage!

When my mother-in-law first asked me about my desire to have Khichuri, bengali for Khichdi, for lunch one rainy day, I obliged. What bewildered me was their excitement for Khichuri with the presence of rain. It was like we crave for Samosa or Pakode on a monsoon evening. P had never been much of a fan of Khichuri but as per prior agreement with his mother about Khichuri and its supplements, and he joyfully grinned.

During lunchtime, what I see at the dining table surprises shocks me. The star of cuisine, The Khichuri, sits in the centre of the plate surrounded by not one but six to seven items. My mind takes a while to register the paraphernalia around the main dish. To start with, there’s Baigun Bhaaja and Aalu Bhaaja, followed by Chutney, Papad and Pickles of course. Then there’s Half-fried egg. And finally, the primary accompaniment Raita. The Khichuri itself is totally a different recipe I do not recognize. It’s not just Daal and Rice, there are a lot of vegetables and spices, almost mashed to a very thick soupy consistency. As I sit down to observe and eat, I start to miss Khichdi for the first time in my life.

The first bite delivers a burst of flavours in my mouth, totally unexpected. Do I love it? Am I fan of Khichuri now? It’s been years to this first rendezvous with Khichuri, but I still can’t say yet. For me, Khichdi and Khichuri are still two totally different things. However, whenever I cook either of them, they aren’t accompanied by plethora of items. I have kept it at a comfort-level, until now. Until very recently, when I made an evolved modern version of the two, The Khichuri Platter, the marriage of my Khichdi and his Khichuri in today’s contemporary world.