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No, Khichdi Is Not Being Made The National Dish of India

Facts first.
BHOPAL, INDIA - OCTOBER 15: 8501 kg 'Khichdi' being cooked in a 12500 litre cauldron to mark completion of 7 years of Sri Sai Baba Handi wale temple at the locality at Awadhpuri , BHEL Area, on October 15, 2014 in Bhopal, India. Khichdi is derived from Sanskrit word Khicca which refers to a dish prepared from rice and pulses. (Photo by Praveen Bajpai/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
BHOPAL, INDIA - OCTOBER 15: 8501 kg 'Khichdi' being cooked in a 12500 litre cauldron to mark completion of 7 years of Sri Sai Baba Handi wale temple at the locality at Awadhpuri , BHEL Area, on October 15, 2014 in Bhopal, India. Khichdi is derived from Sanskrit word Khicca which refers to a dish prepared from rice and pulses. (Photo by Praveen Bajpai/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

It might be your favourite comfort food when you're sick, but it's not going to become India's national dish.

Following multiple reports that announced the Indian government's intention to designate khichdi as the country's national dish, the union food minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said it was all "fictitious".

She had earlier been quoted as saying, "Khichdi is considered nutritious, healthiest food in India and it is is eaten by poor and rich alike, irrespective of their class. It symbolises India's great culture of unity in diversity. So it has been selected as the brand of Indian food."

Badal had been speaking at an event before the World Food India conference, where celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor is expected to cook 800 kilograms of khichdi in an attempt to set a world record. However, news reports soon appeared suggesting that this was part of a decision to make khichdi a national dish.

Instead, it will be reportedly promoted as a "Brand India Food" globally.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.