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Much like the monsoon skies, sometimes dark and ominous, other times shone brightly by a dazzling rainbow or spectacular sunset hues, the rains evoke a myriad of emotions in humans too. But not everybody’s heart dances to the pattering raindrops and the Jacobin cuckoo’s song! For some, the dark clouds and gloomy days trigger sombre moods and longing for comfort food. And the best way to disperse the blues is with a warm bowl of khichdi!
In the Mahabharata, there’s a mention of Draupadi serving Pandavas khichdi during their time of exile. Akbar and his courtier, Abul Fazi were fond of khichdi too, with the latter taking his love to obsessive levels when thirty maunds were cooked daily to be served to whoever came by his house. Jahangir is believed to have favoured a rich-spicy version with dry fruit, while Aurangzeb liked his khichdi with boiled eggs and fish. This wholesome, one-pot meal is savoured across India on different occasions be it the soft, palatable baby’s first meal, as a nutrition-packed serving to boost a sick person’s vitality, or as food for the soul and every region gives the classic dish their own unique twist. After spending over two decades in Kolkata, my taste buds sometimes crave the rich Bengali variant made with roasted shona moong dal, aromatic gobindabhogh rice and an assortment of veggies and spices. Take 100 gm rice and little over half that measure of dal. Wash rice and leave to air-dry. Dry roast dal until it turns pinkish-brown, then wash and keep aside. In a heavy-bottom vessel, heat vegetable oil, add one potato cut into large chunks and fry along with five to six florets of cauliflower until lightly brown, then set aside. Fry rice for a minute in the same oil and set aside. Mix together half a teaspoon ginger paste, half-teaspoon turmeric powder and the same quantity of cumin powder with little water. Add ghee to a vessel, two bay leaves, some cumin seeds, a couple of dry red chillies, two cardamoms, a bit of cinnamon and four cloves. As they start spluttering, add the spices and fry for a few minutes, then add one chopped tomato. When tomatoes turn soft, add rice, then dal and finally salt, a little sugar and two green chillies. Pour water, bring to a boil for around 15 minutes and serve with hilsa fish fry.