The rice and lentil dish from India, Khichdi is often accompanied by curd, pickle and poppadom.
It is Saturday and most houses in eastern and northern India cook Khichdi, but do we know why this dish has become a staple Saturday meal? Being a north Indian myself and being born and raised in eastern India, the curiosity has been itching me for long. And thus digging up and talking to people to know about this tradition, I realised that eating Khichdi on Saturdays protects humans from any ill effects of “Shani Graha” the planet Saturn.
Shani Graha
According to the Hindu astrology, Shani or Saturn is considered to be the most dreaded 'graha'. It is believed that all the other planets fail to give any good results if Shani causes obstruction.
Who Is Shani Dev?
Son of Surya (Sun) and his wife Chhaya (shadow), Shani is embodied in the planet Saturn and is considered to be the Lord of Saturday. Shani Dev has a younger sibling, Yama, who is the Hindu God of death. Shani Dev gives us the results of our deeds through one's life by giving appropriate punishments and rewards.
Why Do We Eat Khichdi On Saturday?
Many believe that eating Khichdi on Saturdays help minimise or cut the ill effects of Shani Dev. People believe that eating Khichdi on this day will keep Shani Dev happy.
Khichdi, A Healthy Food
Made by mixing rice and a variety of dal (lentils), Khichdi is a wholesome food item. It is because of this that when we are unwell we are advised to have khichdi. It is a power-packed dish that has carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium, dietary fibres, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.
Khichdi is easy to digest as strong spices are not included in its preparation. It is light and easy on the stomach and intestines and is good detoxifying food. It helps boost the immune system, provides energy among other health benefits.
Along with rice and dal, one can add seasonal vegetables to prepare Khichdi.
Easy Way To Prepare Khichdi
Ingredients
- ½ cup moong dal (lentils)
- ½ cup of rice
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 tomato finely chopped
- A small amount finely chopped or grated ginger
- 1 finely chopped green chilli
- ¾ tsp of cumin seeds (jeera)
- ¼ tsp of turmeric (haldi) powder
- Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 3 and a half cups of water
- 1 and a half tbsp oil or clarified butter (ghee)
- Salt to taste
Method
- Wash and rinse moong dal and rice together. Keep them soaked in water for about half an hour
- Put 2 tbsp ghee or oil in a pressure cooker and heat it in low flame
- Add some cumin seeds. When cumin seeds start to splutter, add onions in a pressure cooker
- Sauté onions till they start to turn reddish-brown. Now add chopped tomatoes, ginger and green chilli
- Keep stirring to avoid the content from burning
- Now, add turmeric powder and hing to the content
- Cook it nicely till tomatoes turn soft
- Now, drain water from the soaked rice and moong dal and add them to the pressure cooker
- Stir it for about a minute
- Add some water and season with salt
- Put the lid of a pressure cooker and let the khichdi cook on a high flame till you get 6 to 7 whistles
- If you see that khichdi is too thick, then add some water and stir again
Now your khichdi is cooked. You may add some ghee while serving. You may serve khichdi with curd, salad, pickle and papad (poppadom).
