By Shruti Sunderraman

The internet became a khichdi of sorts yesterday with rumours abound that the simple dal khichdi dish, made out of rice and lentils, was to be declared the national dish of India. That the concept of a national dish could even exist in a country of innumerable cuisines baffled me, with the rest of the Indian internet, to no end. The hashtag #khichdi started doing the rounds on Twitter, with innumerable comments about it –  some expressing their love for India’s ‘comfort dish’ and others expressing how disturbed they were by it. Many pro-paneer protestors joined in with their voices. Soon, the biryani  brigade followed. The internet was a quagmire of hilarious, all thanks to one khichdi rumour. But dal mein zaroor kuch kaala tha A.K.A fake news.

Turned out the khichdi becoming the national dish was only a rumour after all. Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, clarified that the khichdi is only going to be a ‘Brand  India Food’ at the World India Food event. But women on Twitter had already had their fun with the khichdi rumours by the time her clarification came. Most of them took digs at the imposed nationalism the idea of declaring a national dish brought along with it. 

While one woman questioned if this means she’d have to stand up if the khichdi was brought into the room (referring to the forced nationalism associated with standing up for the national anthem in the theatre), while another took a non-ironic dig what declaring khichdi to be the national dish does to bring down our numbers on the hunger index. Mirror Now editor, Faye D’Souza was not going to let this go without asking if the government would charge GST on the khichdi as it did with glucose biscuits.

Here are some of the best-cooked khichdi tweets from women on the internet.

Will Khichdi flavoured condoms now be the national contraceptive of India?

— Tanvi (@sinpulsive) November 1, 2017

Soon we’ll witness a thread about how eating Khichdi helped someone deliver Swadeshi triplets 🙄 and how Ram used to eat Khichdi everyday. 😒

— Priyanka (@autumnrainwish) November 1, 2017

Population, Public transport, residency ,hospitals,jobs etc har jagah logo ki #khichdi hi hai.

No wonder it is 2 be India’s national food.

— Heer♥ (@m_hiral) November 1, 2017

#Khichdi should be exempt from GST then, right?

— Faye DSouza (@fayedsouza) November 1, 2017

Two spoons #Khichdi a day keep anti national away

😁😁😁

— Sheela Singh (@sheela1992ss) November 2, 2017

Indians: Modiji We are hungry!(100 in hunger index!)
Modi: Mitron, I will make #Khichdi as National dish. Eat it and prove your Nationalism.

— Keerthi🌹 (@realkeerthi) November 1, 2017

The only #Khichdi i liked through all these years. pic.twitter.com/ZxYaFYiDSl

— Rishika (@aadiivaasii) November 1, 2017

Will they make it compulsory to eat #Khichdi in Govt offices 4 lunch? Will those not eating be thrashed? #BMKJ to b chanted b4 or after?

— Mehek (@MehekF) November 2, 2017

RT @mystic_pri: Never treat anyone like Biryani…

While they choose to keep treating you like #Khichdi…!!! 😜

— Sunita Kumar (@sunikm) November 2, 2017

There is an event called World Food India. Khichdi will be promoted as brand India food. Chill. Nobody is forcing you to eat khichdi.

— Naomi Datta (@nowme_datta) November 1, 2017

As India drops in Hunger Ratings under BJP, their response is making #Khichdi national dish! This is culinary hegemony! What abt gongura?

— Madhuri Danthala (@Madhuism_) November 1, 2017

The Kashmiri version of #Khichdi is a sumptuous meat and lentil combination.

— Smriti Kak (@smritikak) November 1, 2017