A beautiful mess

Khichdi is the humble food that has graced many cauldrons and lived many lives

The recent flurry of boiling reactions over the attempts to label khichdi as the brand ambassador for Indian food has brought to the fore our half-baked engagement with the history of quotidian matters. Especially pitiable are comparisons with what is considered its grand cousin — biryani, a dish that did not make its debut in its current form till about the 18th century. As sick food, it is as proverbial as Birbal’s khichdi. This humble food has graced many cauldrons and has lived many lives: From being a humble mish-mash of rice, lentils, and vegetables villagers ate to recipes found