What is the reason for cooking khichdi on Makar sankranti and Pongal?

Khichdi is a very simple dish of lentil and rice. It's very common to celebrate Makar Sankranti and Pongal by cooking Khichdi. I am curious to know, how this tradition started.What is the reason for cooking khichdi on Makar sankranti and Pongal?
Khichdi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about a rice dish. For the Hindi TV show, see Khichri (TV series).

Khichri

Khichri

Origin

Place of origin India

Region or state Gujarat

Dish details

Main ingredient(s) Rice, lentils, spices

Khichri (also khichdi, khichdee, khichadi, khichuri, khichari and many other variants) (Hindi: ?????? khica?ī, Urdu: ????? khic?ī, Bengali: ?????? khichuri) is an Indian food preparation made from rice and lentils (dal). Khichri is commonly considered to be a comfort food, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish of Kedgeree.





[edit] History

Khichri is described in the writings of Afanasiy Nikitin, a Russian adventurer who travelled to the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century. Khichri was very popular with the Mughals, especially Jahangir. Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th century document, written by Mughal Emperor, Akbar’s vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, mentions the recipe for Khichri, which gives seven variations [1].



[edit] Regional variations

Khichri is commonly served with another Indian dish called kadhi. Other common accompaniments are papads, beguni (deep fried eggplants in a besan batter), ghee (clarified butter), achar (oil based pickle), and yoghurt.



Khichri is a very popular dish across Pakistan, northern India, and Bangladesh. The dish is widely prepared in many Indian states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Bengal (where it is called Bengali: ?????? khichuri). Vegetables such as cauliflower, potato, and green peas are commonly added. A popular variant in coastal Maharashtra is made with prawns.



In Bengali tradition it is customary to cook khichuri (Bengali: ??????) on rainy days. It is also traditional in Bengal to cook khichuri as a lunch at the Saraswati Puja during the month of February - the invocation of the goddess of learning - and for other popular pujas such as Durga Puja.



While khichuri is cooked as a rather rich gourmet delicacy in Bengal, it is cooked very differently in northern and western India, where it is considered a very plain bland dish usually served to people who are ill. Khichri is also the first solid that babies are introduced to. Rice and lentils are simmered till mushy, seasoned with turmeric and salt and fed to infants to introduce them to ';adult'; food. Khichri is also popular in Pakistan. It is especially cooked for children and people with stomach problems as it is easily digestible compared to other Pakistani dishes which usually have meat and are also spicy. Although it has a similar name, khichra is actually a variation of haleem and is not to be confused with Khichri.



Khichri is also a favourite campfire food owing to the convenience of being able to cook the dish in a single simmering pot.



Khichri when well cooked with little oil is considered as a light and nutritious dish and is especially popular amongst many who follow an ayurvedic diet practices or nature cure.What is the reason for cooking khichdi on Makar sankranti and Pongal?
THIS IS THE TIME--WEN NEW RICE CROP IS CUT FROM THE FIELDS,,%26amp; HENCE FESTIVAL CELEBRATED BY EATING NEW RICE FROM THE FIELDS---IT MAY HAVE STARTED MANY YEARS BACK --WEN MAN FIRST STARTED CULTIVATING RICE,,,