Recipe: Kadhi Chawal (kadhi Rice)

Tangy and flavorful Punjabi Kadhi Pakora has deep fried pakoras (fritters) dunked in a tangy yogurt based curry! Best enjoyed with steamed white rice!

For kadhi

1. Take 2 cups yogurt and 2-3 tbsp gram flour / besan. whisk it together to get a smooth consistency. leave the mix for half an hour to rest.

2. Add 5-6 cups of water to it to make a very watery mix that will be the main gravy for kadhi.

3. In 2 tsp oil, mix in 3/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 broken dried red chilli. let the seeds crackle.

4. In 1/4 cup water, add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder to make a smooth paste. add it in oil, after the seeds crackle. make sure to not burn it.

5. Get the gas to its highest flame / setting and mix in the besan-yogurt batter and keep stirring it till the whole mixture comes to a boil.

6. It is crucial to stir it continuously to avoid yogurt from curdling. do not stop till the whole mix is boiling. this process would take about 10 minutes.

7. When it starts boiling, lower the flame and add salt to taste.

For pakora / fritters (this is a must try)

8. Thinly slice 1 large onion, cut it to half its length.

9. In a bowl, take 1 cup gram flour / besan, mix in 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 3/4 tsp salt, 3 finely chopped green chillies and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

10. Deep fry the fitters in a wok (spoon size batter at a time) till it changes colour to golden brown and becomes crisp. turn halfway to cook evenly.

11. Add them to kadhi. you can save some to enjoy with chutney or with some sprinkled chaat masala.

For tempering

12. In 2 tsp clarified butter / ghee, add 1/4 tsp cumin seeds, pinch of hing / asafoetida, 3-4 round whole red chillies, 5-6 curry leaves and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. pour it over the kadhi immediately and enjoy hot with rice