Forget risotto, Khichdi is what gives me comfort

a soft rice and lentil dish that is healthy and hearty and heavenly and healing

Last week, on a seemingly normal day, I received some unexpected bad news. My first reaction was shock and numbness. Initially, I deluded myself into thinking the news wasn’t as bad as it was. But as I began to process the terrible news, it started to dawn on me how this news alters my life and the choices I will make significantly. Things won’t be easy, for a long while. Since then, I have spent the following days with a heavy heart, still processing how to move forward. I remind myself that life is full of ups and downs. Both will come and go. And we must endure.

On the day I received this news, I lost my appetite and any desire to cook. On most days I eagerly look forward to cooking my meals, I enjoy every part of the process. But that day all I could do was lay down on the couch and stare at the ceiling. Finally as the evening unfolded, I realized I had to feed myself and my husband and mustered up some strength to get up from the couch and drag myself to the kitchen.

Honestly, nothing looked appetizing or inspiring. I opened and closed the fridge a few times. I entered and exited the pantry a few times. I came back to the couch to hover and then slow walked back to the kitchen. After about 30 mins of this sad dance, my mind transported me back to my childhood days when my mom would make this one dish to make us feel better when we were sick or sad. I realized that’s exactly what would be ideal to make for dinner. It would be easy, quick, and a comforting meal.

The infamous dish that helps us in many dark times is known as Khichdi.

What is Khichdi?

Technically, it is only a simple porridge made from rice and lentils. But oh it’s so much more than that.

Khichdi is a humble comfort food that is good for your soul. In many Indian and South Asian households, khichdi is what is served when you are sick or recovering from an illness, when you feel lazy, when you come home after short or long travels, when you have been eating too many heavy meals or unhealthy foods, when you want to eat something plane yet with potential to be flavorful, when you want to give your digestive system a break, when you want to give your digestive system a boost, when you want to find some comfort in your times of sorrow, and so on.

Khichdi is also quite healthy. It’s an excellent source of carbohydrates (rice, lentils), protein (lentils, yogurt if served), fiber (lentils), and vitamins & minerals (iron, calcium, potassium). It is very easy to digest.

Why is it better than Risotto (in my world)?

While I do enjoy my Italian style risottos, I still always prefer a bowl of khichdi. While risotto is laborious with constant stirring, khichdi is a super easy ‘set it and forget it’ type of dish. While risotto if often heavy due to the butter or cheese or cream, khichdi is light and easier on the stomach. While risotto uses expensive ingredients like specific rice, wine, cream, cheese, etc., khichdi is budget friendly since it uses cheap ingredients. While risotto is a rich mouthfeel, khichdi is simple, yet with the ability to be complex without being rich or heavy. And of course, the glaringly obvious reason is that, while I started eating risottos in my adult life, I have been devouring khichdi since I could eat solid foods.

I doubt you will ever find khichdi on Indian restaurant menus. I suppose they find it too plane to entertain at a restaurant. You’ll just have to make it yourself and find out how amazing it is.

How to make Khichdi?

STEP 1: SOFTEN ~ The first step is to soften the rice and lentils. I generally use basmati rice because it’s less sticky when overcooked, but you can use any rice you already have in the pantry. My go to lentils for this are either split yellow (moong) or split orange (masoor) lentils since they cook fast but other types of lentils like split black gram lentils or french lentils will work too.

I typically use equal parts of rice and lentils but this ratio is also up to you. The amount of water will depend on the types of lentils you use (bigger/harder lentils will require more time and more water). For each portion of rice+lentil mix, I use 4 portions of water (ie 1 cup of rice+lentils with 4 cups of water).

If you have some vegetables sitting around, you can add them in too (like chopped carrots, green beans, pumpkin, etc.) but this is completely optional.

After washing the rice and lentils (and vegetables) a couple times, I soften them in an instant pot. I pressure cook for 15 mins with natural release or they can also be boiled on the stove top for 20-30 mins). The goal here is to soften the rice and lentils into a soft porridge consistency.

STEP 2: FLAVOR ~ You can add salt and pepper to the rice lentils and that would be the most basic form of khichdi one can eat, especially best when sick or recovering from illness. Or you can flavor this to the max, as your palette desires.

I follow the North Indian style cooking basics to build a flavor base for the khichdi. I toast cumin seeds in hot oil on medium-high heat, sauté finely chopped onions and ginger until they are soft, and then add spices like coriander powder, turmeric powder, & cumin powder. I add these tempered aromatics and spices to the softened rice and lentils. I finish the khichdi with a splash of lemon juice and chopped cilantro.

The best part about this step is that you can do as little or as much as you like. You can keep the flavors and textures super simple or build them as complex as your palette desires. You do you.

STEP 3: SAVOR ~ My favorite way to enjoy kichdi is with a side of homemade plane yogurt. But here again it is versatile. Khichdi can be served with a side of crunchy items like cucumbers, radish, onions or with spicy pickles or chutneys. Khichdi is also often adorned with a dollop of ghee (clarified butter).

As I ate khichdi on the night of the bad news day, I felt a teeny tiny bit better. While the bowl of comfort food did not change my news, it gave me some strength to start to tackle it and make appropriate plans. Khichdi gave me a much needed hug that night and for that I am so glad this dish is a part of my life. Next time you are in a low mood, try some Khichdi, it might help a bit.

Dish Debrief:

• Is this my winner or disaster? absolute winner

• How would I rate this dish out of 10? 100 out of 10

• What would I change next time? It’s so versatile, I make it differently each time as my mood inspires.

• Would I make this again? Life would be more difficult without khichdi in it!