PUNJABI KADHI PAKOREY

KADHI

Kadhi is a curry made with yoghurt as the main base thickened with gram flour and mildly spicy. It is an easy preparation but you have to have the proportions of yoghurt and gramflour right to get the desired consistency. I have never measured amount of yoghurt to gramflour as I just use an estimate. But since many have asked for the recipe I have measured out the amounts for the purpose of writing this recipe. Not all of my followers are experts in the kitchen so for the benefit of the beginners, I have written the exact amounts but a little more or less shouldn't matter. I have to mention though that there are variations in the recipes of Kadhi as some will add tomatoes and also Kasuri Methi and Methi. My version is one I have adapted for myself after trying out various methods. So, if you want to experiment, please do go ahead. You might just come up with something very irresistible! 

You will also need Pakorey. These are little dumplings prepared from gramflour which are later added to the Kadhi. However, if you want to omit adding these, you can very well do so. It does not make too much of a difference to the Kadhi. Serve this with steamed rice and Yummm...!!! Delicious. But then again, it is up to you, you can have this with some roti or sop up with some bread and even serve the leftover in the morning with Paratha. All a matter of what tickles your taste buds. So here go the ingredients. 

INGREDIENTS FOR PAKOREY

• 5 Tablespoons Besan (Gram flour) 
• 2 Tablespoons Onion (Finely Chopped) 
• 2 Tablespoons Potato (Finely Chopped)  
• 1 Green Chilly (Finely Chopped)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ajwain (Carom Seeds) - OPTIONAL
• 1 Teaspoon Coarsely Crushed Zeera (Cumin Seeds)
• 1 Tablespoon Cilantro (Chopped)
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder 
• A pinch of baking powder
• Oil for deep frying 
• Salt to taste
• Some Water for Mixing    

METHOD 

1) In a mixing bowl, place the gram flour and add all the dry ingredients including the potatoes and the onions. 

2) Take a cup of water and keep adding to the gram flour while you gather it with the other hand to mix. Keep adding the water little by little. You might just need to use a little less of the cup of water. Keep mixing well with hand until you have a batter that is not too runny but thick enough to hold the onions and potatoes. The batter should not be too thick either or else you might end up with hard pakorey - and that is not what you want.

3) Place a wok on heat and add oil - enough for deep frying. As soon as it is mildly hot, start dropping in the pakorey batter a bit at a time in the form of small lumps to shape itself into a ball once it drops in oil. Be careful here not to splash oil onto your hands. Do not overcrowd the wok.

4) Keep stirring the pakorey on and off and soon as they are golden brown, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon and drop them onto a plate lined with kitchen absorbent paper. Fry the next batch in the same manner. Once you are done frying, set these pakorey aside. Of course you can also pop one or two into your mouth - No Restrictions on that!! (When I am usually frying the next batch, I turn around to see that the first batch has mysteriously (sic) disappeared!


INGRDIENTS FOR KADHI

• 4 Cups Sour Yoghurt 
• 6 HeapedTablespoons Gramflour (Besan) 
• 4 Dried Whole Red Chillies
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Zeera)
• 1 Level Teaspoon Mustard Seeds (Rai)
• 2 Teaspoons Turmeric Powder 
• 2 Teaspoons Salt (More or Less)
• 4 to 5 Tablespoons Green Chilly Paste (Just drop in 8 or more green chillies into a blending jar and add some water and pulse until you get a paste. Doesn't have to be too fine. It all depends on how hot you want the kadhi to be. Just adjust the number of chillies accordingly)
• 1 Heaped Teaspoon of very Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger 
• 2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
• 1 Small Onion Finely Chopped. Please note it is not important to add onion so you can very well not add it. I always add onion to Kadhi as I like to have bits of onion in it. 
• 1 or 2 Extra Green Chillies  
• 10 to 12 Curry Leaves. These impart a very distinct flavour to the Kadhi. However if you don't have them you can still go ahead and prepare your curry without them. The last time I prepared Kadhi I did not have any so I did without and the Kadhi was still very aromatic and delicious. 
• 2 Tablespoons Oil

DIRECTIONS

Before I start on how to prepare the Kadhi, I have to stress that the Yoghurt MUST be sour. It is crucial to the success of the Kadhi. In case you don't have sour yoghurt then squeeze in some lime juice to sour the yoghurt. I usually do that when I don't have sour yoghurt at hand. 

In a bowl, tip in the yoghurt and whisk it smooth. Add the gram flour and continue whisking until no lumps remain. Add the turmeric powder and mix to blend in well. IF using lime juice, add it at this stage. Do not add much as you can always add more if needed at a later stage.

 

Add 9 cups of water. Stir well and set aside.

Place a medium sized pan on heat and pour in the oil. When hot, drop in the mustard seeds and wait until they splutter. If using curry leaves, you add them soon after the mustard seeds splutter.

Tip in the cumin seeds and dried red chillies. 

Drop in the ginger and garlic along with the onions IF USING. Please note that all these stages have to be performed in quick succession. Saute the ginger. garlic and onions for 1 minute.

Give a quick stir to the yoghurt and gram flour you set aside earlier. This is important as the gram flour will have settled to the bottom. Pour this liquid into the pan. Stir well. Let the Kadhi come to a boil but do not cover the pan. Stir occasionally. 











Once it comes to a bubbling boil, reduce the heat to medium low. Let simmer uncovered for at least 20 minutes. By that time it will have slightly thickened. Taste to check seasoning. Add more salt or lime juice as required. 

If using Pakorey, you now add them to the Kadhi. Let simmer again for at least 6 minutes. Drop in some more green chillies and/or dried red chillies. Remove from flame. Serve. Garnish with Cilantro if desired.