The term comfort food has been traced back at least to 1966, when the Palm Beach Post used it in a story: “Adults, when under severe emotional stress, turn to what could be called ‘comfort food‘—food associated with the security of childhood, like mother’s poached egg or famous chicken soup.”

I am sure we all have our own take on what comfort food should be like and the instant effect it has on our mood. For some, it could be a way to unwind after a long tiring day at work, or for some, it could be the simple aroma of a homecooked meal, after days of eating out.

It is the irreplaceable curd rice that is synonymous to home for a few, while it is the humble dal chawal that makes one feel at home in an unknown place, or a bowl of piping hot Maggi that reminds them of their childhood, or even a cheesy grilled sandwich to lift our spirits up.

What connects them all is the common thread of familiarity and nostalgia which has the power to make you feel better that very instant, no matter what you are going through. Comfort food as stated above is associated with a sense of security that somehow takes you to a place where you feel safe. 🙂 Isn’t it brilliant, that food can do this?

Isn’t it wonderful that all of us, have around us an immediate and low effort means to change how we feel simply by turning to certain kinds of food? As a human race, we have a skill at hand to make ourselves and people around us feel safe, with minimal effort, but maximum heart. That’s it. That’s what comfort food is all about – “Minimal effort, Maximum Heart.”

Yesterday was one such day when I had to endure a long mind-numbing day, at the end of which you feel like you achieved nothing. It had an undeniable effect on my mood and energy levels, and I transformed into a walking, cranky zombie, causing destruction with my words and actions. Even my dog didn’t approve of my demeanor.

I settled down after an unfortunate tiff with my poor mother, who had no fault in any of this, but understood what I was going through anyway, just as mothers do, and just as we take for granted all the time. Anyways #guiltripping aside.

I decided I had to turn to food, to lift me up and transform me into my human form again. The choice was instant, simple toor dal khichdi and spicy besan curry. Both of them can be cooked and served within the next thirty minutes. The mere thought of it made me feel like everything was going to better, and I am never going to feel hungry again. I stuck to a simple, basic foolproof recipe that never lets me down.

I am sure the internet does not need another recipe for khichdi, given that there are a million of them already in different forms and variants. The one tip I have is, feel free to add as many veggies as possible while boiling the rice and the dal if you want a healthier version. I like my khichdi super runny, with little or no biting involved. And always, always do the tadka in the very end, it just lifts the whole dish up to another level.

Now, the besan is an integral part of my comfort food combo. The besan gives me the starch, the spice and the feeling of eating something super tasty, along with the otherwise bland version of khichdi I made yesterday. It is a simple unassuming dish, with a few things to take care of.

Mix the besan with salt, turmeric, chilli powder, dried mango powder, mix it well without lumps in a cup of water and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan, add the usual mustard, cumin, chopped garlic, hing, onions, chilli garlic paste, turmeric and fry till everything comes together like it should. Now add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Slowly add the besan mixture and stir it till there are no lumps. Cook it under a lid for ten minutes and serve super hot!

My place of nostalgia comes from eating khichdi and besan on those days when I was really hungry and I had nothing else to cook in my kitchen and I had no option of going out. When I started working in Mumbai and was away from home, this combo saved me on so many nights, when the anti-social Dhivya in me was not willing to go out or see any other human being.  It made me feel safe, and comfortable in that tiny apartment of mine, no matter what the world was going through. On most nights, I wanted to go out and win the world, and on a few nights, I wanted to stay home alone and eat khichdi + besan. 🙂

Tell me about comfort food, and how it makes you feel. I really hope to explore a few other dishes on this category and have a list of foods to turn to, when nothing seems right.

Here are some terrible but unedited pictures of yesterday’s savior, who came through yet again, for me! I think editing pictures of comfort food beats the whole point of it! These are #shotononeplus6.