Khichda by Sakina Mamaji

Charity begins at home.

So does gluttony we believe, ergo our newest section Home Truths!

And we have devoted it to foods and love. The foods we love, the people who lovingly create gastronomic magic, and the warmth and friendship that we share each time we break bread together. Every bite is a new memory and with Home Truths we do our bit to spread the love to your tabletops!

If there ever was a definitive soul food it would have to be Khichda. It’s usually best when shared with a group of happy diners – as has been the case over the years and countless dinners at Mariam’s whether it was with her folks, visiting family, friends or most recently my fiancé. It’s also been Mariam’s mother Sakina’s cure-all when we’re going through a low phase, haven’t met up for a while or she just generally concerned. “I’m making khichda, just come over” has been the best remedy to most life situations. Thus we could find no better item to kickstart our Home Truths.

Khichda                                                                                                                                               Photo-: Mariam Mamaji

Ingredients (Serves 6)

500gm pounded wheat/khandela gheun available only in grocery stores in Bohri Mohalla (click for map)
50gms mixed lentils (moong, masoor chana, urad.


10gms rice.


10gms oats.

1kg mutton (2:1 ratio with wheat)

8- 10 green chillies

10-12 pods of garlic peeled and chopped

2 big onions sliced/chunks

2-inch piece of ginger crushed

1 tablespoon oil

For Garnish:

15-20 pods of garlic peeled and chopped

4 tablespoons of ghee (clarified butter)

Coriander sprigs

Homemade garam masala powder (cloves, cardamom, cinnamon powdered at home)

Fried onions (locally called birista)

Mint leaves (pudina)

Lemon slices

The Grind

1.       Soak the wheat, lentils, rice and oats overnight in hot water

2.       Next morning boil wheat, mutton, ginger, garlic ,chillies and oil in 3 litres of water in a thick bottomed pan and add salt as per taste.

3.       Cover the pot and cook stirring occasionally on a low flame till most of the water has evaporated and the wheat and mutton are tender. It should take approx 3 hours. The consistency should be thick like porridge. If water evaporates before meat/wheat is cooked add more as required.

4.       Once cooked, remove all mutton pieces from the pot and pound the wheat mixture with a wooden churner (used for daals and pav bhajis). Alternately you can also give it one spin in the food processor

5.       Replace the meat in this pounded mixture

6.       Fry the garlic meant for garnish in ghee till its golden brown

7.       Add the fried garlic to the pot and stir thoroughly

8.       Garnish with coriander and garam masala powder and serve on the table

9.       Let diners garnish their serving with fried onions, lemon juice and mint leaves according to taste

10.   UMAMI!