Backcountry Comfort Foods: Rice and Lentil Khichdi

Khichdi (pronounced more like khichri) in Hindi means a mish-mash, most commonly used to describe a mushy, stewy dish of grains, lentils, vegetables and spices. Every family in India has their own way of making khichdi, and there are usually no set recipes. Because it’s nutrition-packed, easy-to-digest and the one-pot-meal to rule them all, it has the unfortunate reputation of being a dish you only eat when you’re sick.

Not in my family though, no: khichdi was a comfort food of sorts, something we looked forward to. It was typically reserved for cooler, rainy days, drizzled with ghee and eaten with crunchy, deep-fried potatoes, okra (or ladies’ finger, its Indian English name), or even fish, on the side. My grandmother’s version was the family favourite, because it was spicy, and made with chunky vegetables that retained a bite even after the stewing. I’d like mine a bit milder and runnier, so, much to everyone’s bewilderment, I’d get my portion and then proceed to dunk water onto it.

As the OG one-pot meal, even the most elaborate version is very easy to cook. To make this backcountry-friendly, we swap out fresh vegetables and aromatics with the dried kinds, and prepare a spice mix in advance. I’ve made it numerous times at home, but the first time I adapted it for the outdoors, I used fresh carrots, as I was car camping. If you’re car camping or have the capacity, feel free to do the same: cauliflowers, carrots, green beans, anything with a bite, is ideal. Cut them up into bite-sized pieces at home, and add them to the pot along with the other base ingredients.

Recipe

Oily Spice/Aromatics Mix
2 tablespoons oil of any kind**
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½  teaspoon dried minced garlic
½  teaspoon dried minced onion
¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)