The famed Birbal ki khichri: Has it changed with time?

Remember the ’90s show Akbar Birbal on Zee TV? Anyone who has watched the serial or spent a significant amount of time in the company of North Indian grandparents will know the phrase ‘Birbal ki khichri’. The khichri in the popular story is not an actual dish but a proverbial one, and the moral is that a ray of hope is all it takes to inspire a hardworking person to realise his dreams.

Drawing from this story, Michelin-starred chef Suvir Saran has created a recipe by the same name. “With this, I wanted to share that even humble beginnings can take one soaring with pride into the stratosphere. If a bimaaron ki khichri (khichri for patients) can be turned into a gourmet dining experience, humans too can reach for the stars with their own drive, vision and determination when there is a level playing field and societal support,” says the sprightly chef who has returned to India after a successful stint in the US and launched The House of Celeste restaurant in Gurgaon.

Why a khichri though? “When I crave comfort food, it is most often dreams of khichri that captivate my imagination,” he says.

Back to roots

Khichri, perhaps one of India’s most-loved soul foods, is essentially a one-pot meal of lentils, rice and vegetables that is transported to another dimension via multiple layers of spices – every bite is a new discovery of tastes and textures. The ‘Birbal ki khichri’ that the chef grew up eating at home includes panch phoran (a spice blend of whole cumin, fennel, fenugreek, nigella seeds and mustard seeds) that are fried in ghee or clarified butter with coriander and tomatoes, and then a second boost of spice from a ghee-bloomed blend of more cumin, some cayenne, and oniony asafoetida.

It is such an incredible dish that there is even a legend behind it, says Saran. This khichri originated in mid-16th century India, when Birbal, an official at Emperor Akbar’s court, taught the emperor a lesson by claiming to have cooked the khichri.

“When I crave comfort food, it is most often dreams of khichri that captivate my imagination”

“At our house, we like to say that if it’s good enough for Akbar and Birbal, it’s good enough for you,” laughs the chef. “This dish is so lovely that I often just serve it with nothing but some raita, achaar if you’re craving spice, and perhaps crispy poppadum on the side. Follow the recipe a few times and then begin to play with the flavours and simplify it as you like,” he adds.

How did this dish make it to his home? “I belong to the Kayasth community, who were the first Hindus to marry into the Muslim community. They were the epitome of the Ganga-Jamuna culture. Our foods, music, dance, dress, language and traditions take the best of the two communities and put them together into beautiful mosaics that make the individual elements shine and remain relevant,” explains Saran. “In Kayasth homes, khichri, tehri, Kabuli pulao and biryanis are common fare. The pairing of rice and lentils is a given exercise almost daily in some way, shape or form.”

Twist in the tale

While the medicinal rice-and-lentil porridge or mareezon ki khichri is made when the stomach needs rest, a sabz-daar or vegetable-rich khichri is made when the mind needs a reflective moment to meditate on the senses of taste, touch, scent, and sight.

Saran adds a tweak to the traditional home recipe. “I fry the moong dal in a pan to make it darker in colour and for its natural oils to be released. This nutty flavour becomes the faint yet easily-savoured spine of the dish. My family and relatives make many versions of khichri with vegetables, but none has the sequential addition of flavours that my recipe has!” he winks. 

Saran recalls how his dad’s uncle, a retired IAS officer, made this for his family when they briefly moved from Delhi to Nagpur where his father, a bureaucrat, was posted. “Mausaji and mausiji were visiting us and he made this for us for dinner. A most beautiful gift. I am sure mausaji’s work with the Nizam of Hyderabad might have had some role in the roots of this dish. Perhaps this memory also gave me the confidence to cook without caring about the bullying I might face as a boy who cooked. We found the khada masalas (whole spices) and the use of vegetables a most incredible departure from the usual boring-yet-comforting khichri. Mom’s adoption of the recipe in our family culinary repertoire was quick,” says Saran who has found this dish comforting since he was six years old.

With his ‘Birbal ki khichri’ recipe, Saran honours his mausaji’s legacy with a 21st century update. “This is my homage to his skills, his nurturing nature, and his confidence in being a man who could cook with carefree abandon. Memories of food remain with us until our very end. This is one memory that will forever keep any other khichri from seducing me,” he says.

Recipe: Birbal ki Khichri (serves 10-12)

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