Khichadi & Kadhi

Khichadi & Kadhi: A plate of comfort

It was January of 2021. The world was coming to grips with the reality and rapidly changing guidelines for isolation and treatment of a new and deadly pandemic. We had managed to stay away from COVID for almost a year. Our cook had been given temporary leave till the pandemic scare reduced. Cleaning and cooking duties were shared between family members and I was the designated cook from the time we went into lockdown.

But then, in the last week of January, I started getting cough and fever. And the dreaded test came positive. My husband, although asymptomatic, had also tested positive and we both decided to stay isolated in one room. Our main concern throughout the pandemic had been to protect my mother-in-law, aged 80 with cardiac problems, from getting infected. She was promptly isolated into another bedroom. Due to her age and arthritis, she was not able to do much in the house. And I too couldn’t cook due to sickness, meals were now ordered from outside.

As we all know now, COVID takes away taste and smell. Constant fever and weakness along with lack of taste meant I ate little, if at all, of the food we ordered. And I definitely did not enjoy any of it.

On day 5 of my illness, however, a plate of piping hot Khichadi and Kadhi was ready for us outside the door of our room. My husband and I devoured the meal with relish. From the first bite of this comfort food, my tummy and my tongue thanked me. We called my mother-in-law and cried. A thank you seemed inadequate. She too had been feeling lonely and isolated, even though sharing the same house and had decided to take matters in her own hands and make this simple yet delicious dish. We ate it separately in our isolated rooms, but together on video call. I recovered fast after that.

Khichadi and Kadhi is an age-old Gujarati comfort food combo. In our routine lives, we younger Gujaratis frown upon these 2 and consider it a boring dish on the few days that it is cooked. But on these occasional sick days, this dish is a blessing and a true comfort to the body and soul. Luckily, my mother-in-law managed to escape COVID infection and is even now healthy and well.

Recipe:

Khichadi: Ingredients: 1 cup rice

½ cup yellow moong dal

4 cups water

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp asafoetida

Salt to taste

3-4 peppercorns

All the above ingredients are combined and pressure cooked for 3 whistles and simmered on low flame for another 5-7 minutes. They are then taken out and mixed thoroughly and then the tempering is added.

For tempering: 2 tbsp Ghee or clarified butter

3-4 dry red chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

5-6 curry leaves

Kadhi: Ingredients: Curd 1 cup

Besan or gram flour 1 tbsp

Jaggery 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water 4 cups

1 tsp grated ginger

Besan is beat into the curds until a paste is formed. The other ingredients are then combined and the mixture is allowed to boil for 5-7 minutes and then tempering added.

For tempering: 2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ inch piece of cinnamon stick

2-3 cloves

5-6 curry leaves

2-3 coarsely chopped green chillies

Affirmation: In times of sickness, our bodies crave our well-known, childhood comfort foods. Our dear ones, in such times, take care of us and make us feel loved and safe. I wish for all those who try this recipe that they feel closer to their loved ones as they share it together. This dish is meant to be enjoyed on a cold day as it is served piping hot and preferably eaten sitting cross-legged on the floor together.