Welcoming in a New Year and Kadhi
Well, it is almost like the holidays did not happen and here is a new year.
The holiday season in our house was simple, mostly just us and the robots. Today, I made kadhi, simple comforting dish with all the right notes to welcome in the new year. I probably should have had this post up yesterday, but I chose to sleep in and welcome the year with the peaceful content of a good nights sleep and some thoughts of possibilities that I am looking forward to a week from now.
My Story of Kadhi
One of my resolutions, this year is to focus more on bringing in some reinvented classics that are now family heirlooms to this blog beginning with this silky smooth chickpea based soup called kadhi that is pure comfort food. As with other dishes that run around the Indian subcontinent, this dish has many variations and this one is mine.
Technique and Getting it right
The technique and style is very traditional, my seasonal touch is in the pakora or dumplings, I make them with sweet potato and kale.
The one highlight of the Christmas break was that we caught an early screening of Hidden People.
A result of the husband being left to fend for entertainment for the break. An amazing movie that filled and inspired so many myriad thoughts. just way too many to share, however left us in the perfect mood for soft and comforting kadhi.
A good Kadhi takes some time. Not necessarily loads of effort. Just time to slowly cook the chickpea and yogurt gravy. Cooked to the point that it reaches a beautiful silky comforting smoothness.
This has taken me some time to learn and master. In my salad days, I would cook the dish relatively quickly resulting in acceptable but not truly good results. This can be made for a lighter variation without the pakoras, but why mess with perfection?
This is often comforting winter Sunday lunch served with cumin scented rice.
A soulful chickpea flour stew with chickpea dumplings.
Ingredients
- For the Pakora
- • 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- • 1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
- • 1 teaspoon salt
- • 1 cup grated sweet potatoes
- • 1 cup chopped kale leaves
- • 1 medium sized red onion, thinly sliced
- • Oil for frying
- For the kadhi
- • 2 cups yogurt
- • 4 cups water
- • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
- • 1 teaspoon turmeric
- • 2 teaspoons salt
- • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- • 1 tablespoons oil
- • 1 and half teaspoons cumin seeds
- • 1 and half teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
- • 1/4 teaspoon asafetida
- • 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- • 15 to 20 curry leaves
- To finish
- • 1 teaspoon ghee
- • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- • 1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
- • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the chickpea flour, cumin seeds, cayenne pepper and salt and mix well to remove any lumps.
- Mix in the sweet potatoes, kale and red onion with about 1/2 cup of water to form a thick batter.
- Heat the oil and drop spoonfuls of the batter and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the fritters are crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
- While the fritters are cooking, place the yogurt, water, chickpea flour, turmeric salt and ginger in a large mixing bowl and mix well, preferably using a whisk. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Heat the oil for the Kadhi in a large wok, add in the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, asafetida and fenugreek seeds and cook until the seeds darken and get fragrant, this takes about 30 seconds.
- Add in the curry leaves and then add in the yogurt mixture.
- At this point the mixture will be very thin, let it simmer low and slow for 20 minutes. Add in the pakoras and simmer for 20 minutes. The sauce should still be think, smooth and silky. It will thicken further when the heat is turned off so make sure that it is still relatively thin before turning off the heat.
- In a small pan heat the ghee and add in the remaining cumin seeds and the cayenne pepper and cook for about 20 seconds and pour the hot ghee over the kadhi.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.