Punjabi Kadi with Pakora (Dahi Besan Kadi)

For the month of September, Srivalli announced a delicious dish, Punjabi Kadhi for the Indian Cooking Challenge. Thanks to Srivalli for choosing this yummy Punjabi kadi and Simran for the awesome recipe.

Kadhi / karhi is an Indian dish, specially a part of Gujarati and Punjabi cuisine, basically made up of vegetable fritters (pakodas) simmered in a spicy yogurt-based gravy containing chickpea flour (besan / gram flour) with tempering of black mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida, dried chili peppers, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves in oil / ghee and eaten with steamed rice and roti / phulkas.

Pakoda is a common Indian snack like onion pakoda, potato pakoda, eggplant, cauliflower or chopped spinach or chilies, prepared by dipping the ingredients in batter and fried into crunchy pakodas.
Punjabi kadhi is a typical North Indian recipe made up of pakodas simmered in a thick yogurt gravy.


Ingredients:
For Pakodas:

• Gram flour: ¾ cup
• Onions, sliced: 2 medium
• Red Chilli Powder: ½ tsp (as per taste)
• Baking Powder: ½ tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Water, for batter
• White oil, for deep frying pakodas

For Kadi

• Curd / Yogurt: 1 cup
• Chickpea flour / Besan: ½ cup
• Onion, chopped: 1 large
• Mustard Seeds / Sorse: 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds / Jeera: 1 tsp
• Carom seeds / Ajwain: ½ tsp
• Fenugreek seeds / Methi: 1 tsp
• Curry leaves: 5-6
• Dry red chillies: 2 whole
• Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
• Red Chili powder: ½ tsp
• Garam Masala powder - ½ tsp
• Asafetida / Hing: a pinch
• Oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Preparation
Pakora:

1. Take slice onions in a bowl, crush them a little to separate the slices.
2. Add besan and all the other ingredients except water and oil to the bowl. Mix well. Slowly add water and make a batter of semi thick consistency.
3. Heat oil in a deep bottomed kadhai. Add a little oil in the batter and mix again.
4. Take small amount of batter coated onions, form a round shape and slowly release the balls in the hot oil.
5. Deep fry the pakodas, turn and cook both sides until crispy and golden brown.
6. Drain oil and take out the pakodas, put on a paper towel to soak the extra oil. Keep aside.

Kadhi:

1. Blend yogurt, besan and water with a pinch of turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder to make a thin batter / buttermilk (lassi) mixture consistency. Keep it aside for half an hour before starting to make kadi.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai, add the dry spices (mustard seeds, cumin seeds, carom seeds and fenugreek seeds) and let them splutter. Add curry leaves and dry red chilli to tadka (frying mixture).
3. Add chopped onions and sauté them until light brown. Add the turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, salt and sauté a little more.
4. Add the yogurt / besan (kadhi mixture) to the tadka. Keep stirring the gravy, as it may stick to the bottom. First keep it on a medium flame, bring it to a boil, reduce flame and simmer on low flame for 20-30 mins.
5. Keep stirring occasionally, check if the gravy is thick enough (add little water if required) and release the pakodas in the kadhi.
6. Boil for 2-3 mins more and turn off gas. Garnish with chopped coriander, serve hot with steamed rice or chapati.