Dish · indian
Khichdi
Rice and split mung dal cooked together with turmeric, cumin, and ghee into a soft, porridge-like dish. Plain and mild, often the first solid food given to babies or the sick.
Where it comes from
The dish is common across India as an easy, low-effort meal built from pantry basics, and its simplicity is exactly why it's used as convalescent food when little else appeals. Regional versions add vegetables or swap the lentil.
What cooks argue about
Cooks argue over how much water to add: more water and longer cooking gives the soft, mushy consistency used for the sick, while less water keeps the grains distinct, closer to a pilaf.
Versions
Nobody has published a khichdi here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
basmati rice
split mung dal
ghee
cumin seeds