Kadhi Pakoda

Kadhi is a North Indian dish that needs no introduction, at least in India. Everyone knows it well, most love it, including children, and it is cooked regularly in most houses regularly. Unfortunately, it is one of those dishes that is not widely available in Indian restaurants, more is the pity! In North India, it is a must at one of the meals in the days preceding a wedding. North Indian kadhi is thicker than Gujrati Kadi, being thick, like a custard sauce. It also has dumplings or pakore. This recipe looks long, but it is a very easy dish to make. Serves 4-6

Ingredients:-

•	For the Sauce:
•	500 gm. natural yoghurt (you can use butter milk/maththa instead)
•	4 cups water
•	4 tbs. gram flour or besan
•	1 tbs. cooking oil
•	1/2 tsp. fenugreek or methi seeds (too many will make kadhi bitter)
•	A pinch of asafoetida or hing powder
•	12-15 curry leaves or Kadhi patta
•	1 1/2 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
•	2 tbsp Ginger-garlic-chilli paste
•	1/2 tsp. turmeric powder 1 tsp Mustard seeds 1 tsp Cumin seeds
•	For Dumplings or Pakore:
•	2 cup gram flour or besan, sifted to remove lumps
•	1/4 tsp. salt
•	1/2 tsp. baking powder
•	Water to make batter
•	2 cups oil for deep frying

Making Kadhi :

Place yogurt in a bowl, add sifted besan and beat together, to make a smooth batter. Add salt, turmeric and water. Mix well.

Heat oil in a pan and add fenugreek seeds ,Mustard seeds,cumin seeds,ginger-garlic-chilli paste and asafoetida powder. As soon as the cumin seeds begin to splutter or turn brown, add the yoghurt-besan mix.

Bring to boil, stirring frequently, until it stops trying to rise and boil over. Turn heat down to medium.

Now mix the buttermilk mixture and put and in the fried mixture.Keep it on medium flame and continue mixing it until it starts bubbling . Put the pakodas and low the heat and keep for some time.Close the lid and switch off the flame.

Making Pakoras or dumplings:

Place all ingredients for dumplings in a bowl and make a batter with enough water. Beat it well. The trapped air is what will make them light and fluffy. Solid dumplings do not taste nice.

Heat oil to a medium heat (just beginning to smoke), in a wok or kadhai. When right temperature is reached, a drop of batter dropped in the oil should float sizzling to the top.

Drop dollops of the batter into the hot oil, either with a dessert spoon or with your fingers. Do this gently, from the side of the wok, to stop the oil from splashing on to your hands/face. Make as many at a time as can float without overlapping each other. Fry until golden brown. Keep aside.

When the sauce is ready, add pakoras/dumplings to the kadhi, stir and turn heat off.

Tempering: Before serving, heat the kadhi and place in a serving bowl.

Serve with rice and chapatis.

This is my contribution for Srivallis Curry Mela