Khichdi, India’s ultimate comfort food, gets major boost.
Khichdi, a traditional Indian dish made of rice, lentils and spices, was promoted as “Brand India Food” globally. The dish was unveiled as an Indian “super food” at the global food show, World Food India, which was organised by the ministry of food processing industries along with CII.
In a bid to popularize Indian cuisine internationally, Great India Food Street attempted to create a world record of “Brand India Khichdi” at the event on November 4. Over 918 kg of khichdi was cooked live in an attempt to create the record. A giant ‘kadhai’ (frying pan) 7 feet in diameter and with a capacity of 1,000 litres was used for slow steam-cooking.
Renowned chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who has been roped in as brand ambassador of the Great India Food Street for the three-day event, led the show with the help of over 50 people.
The cooked khichdi was distributed to about 60,000 orphan children as well as guests present at the event. The khichdi was also distributed to the Heads of Foreign Missions in India along with recipe.
“Khichdi is the wonder staple food of India and is considered the healthiest prepared food in India and it is being eaten across length and breadth of India by rich and poor,” Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal told reporters at the curtain raiser event.
Khichdi symbolises India’s great culture of unity in diversity at its best. Therefore, Khichdi has been selected the Brand India Food, she added.
The ministry feels that the dish is favourite of every person cutting across all boundaries of class or religion. The ‘queen of food’ essentially made of rice and lentils has been party of India’s culinary history.
Some historians believe that the British Raj was so fascinated by Khichri that they took it with them and adopted it as ‘kedgeree’.
The humble dish is prepared and loved in its various avatars across India.
While North India calls it Khichdi or Khichri, in southern parts, the dish is known as Huggi, Pongal and Pulagam. West Bengal likes its Khichdi along with fried fish and vegetables.
With the announcement on November 4, Khichdi officially became the national dish of India at the World Food India event.
The bumper show was attended by over 50 global CEOs and 200 companies.
Many food giants such as Nestle, The Hershey Company and GSK Consumer Healthcare had participated in the event.
Brand India Khichdi, its ingredients and recipe shall be popularized by Indian foreign missions throughout the world and the ministry of food processing industries shall ensure that it gets added to the ‘a la carte’ menu in restaurants and kitchens around the world.
