Kadhi कड़ी is a very popular dish in the north and the west of India. It is a yogurt soup cooked with some chickpea flour and tempered with different whole spices. It is a commonly cooked home food which is often served with white fluffy basmati rice /Jeera Rice, pickles and papadums. But it can also be a part of an Indian Thali. We love Khadi-Chawal कड़ी - चावल on a rainy day. Its simple to make and very comforting to eat.
Here is what you will need for 4 people. - 600 gms natural yogurt (at room temperature) - 1 litre water (more or less can be taken as per choice) - 1 heaped tablespoon of chickpea flour (Besan) - 1 tsp Salt or to taste - 3/4 tsp red chili powder - 3/4 tsp turmeric powder - 1 tsp mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp cumin seeds - 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) - big pinch of Asafoetida (heeng) - 1 tablespoon of Ghee/Oil - 1 green chili, finely chopped - 1 dried red chili (optional) - few strings of curry leaves - fresh coriander to Garnish Method: 1. Take a big bowl, add the gram flour and half cup water to it. Mix it well and see there are no balls in the paste. Use an egg beater for this, that works well. 2. Now add the yogurt, the rest of the water, salt, chili powder and turmeric powder to it. 3. Mix it all well and keep it on the side. 4. Now take a heavy bottom pan, add the Ghee to it and let it heat. 5. When the Ghee starts to smoke, make the heat to medium and add the Asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let the seeds pop. Soon after that add the curry leaves, cumin seeds, dried red chili and the fenugreek seeds. Roast them for about 30 seconds.
6. Now add the yogurt and the water mixture and keep stirring the Kadhi clockwise, without taking a break. This is the most important step in Kadhi making. If we stop to stir the liquid the yogurt will curdle and the whole dish will get spoiled.
7. This might take about 12-15 minutes. When the liquid comes to a boil, lower the heat and let it cook for a further 7-8 minutes. 8. Close the heat, garnish the Kadhi with fresh coriander and serve with warm rice or rotis.
Tip: The consistency of the kadhi depends from region to region. In Rajasthan, Jaipur its called as Khata खाटा and its quite thick, like a thick pumpkin soup. In Gujart its quite thin, like a bouillon soup and in the region of Marwar (Jodhpur) its an in between consistency. But its entirely a personal choice. I like the one from the Jodhpur region, thats how my Grandma used to make it. The best Kadhi ever!