Watermelon Khichdi | Chef Heena Patel’s Gujarati Comfort Food
The Culinary Institute of America
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (mcdn.podbean.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
Chef Heena Patel from Besheram restaurant in San Francisco describes her dish of watermelon khichdi as the “mac n’ cheese of Gujarat,” her home state in India. That’s because this dish is the quintessential comfort food of her childhood, and a staple in many Indian households.
Khichdi is a healthy and hearty Indian dish made with rice and moong lentils. Pureed watermelon flesh, as well as the rind is used to add flavor and texture to make the khichdi. Topped with pickled garlic, mango, onions, chilies, peanuts, and cubed watermelon, this one-pot meal is deeply savory, delicious, and comforting.