Khichdi to Egyptian koshari, and the magic of food beyond borders

Co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab and food writer Abhijit Banerjee contemplates the origins of koshari, a dish widely considered the national dish of Egypt. Koshari comes from khichdi, an Indian dish gifted from Indian soldiers stationed in Egypt during the first world war which has likewise been labeled by some as the national dish of India. Abhijit considers the nostalgia that immigrants (himself included) feel for the food of their home country, and wonders what comfort and sense of community that these foods can offer diasporas working and living in difficult, uncertain and often unwelcoming conditions.