Pakoda Kadhi

This is an authentic and traditional dish of north India prepared with sour curd and served with Roti or Rice. In olden days when there were no refrigerators, preserving dahi (curd) was difficult. In hot climate, dahi turns sour fast. Kadhi is a dish prepared with sour curd and is comparable with south Indian ‘Moru Kozambu’ without coconut as ingredient. This can be prepared with vegetables like Methi, Palak, Bhindi, Arbi but tastes very good with Pakodas.

I have prepared kadi with pakodas.

Serves: 6 to 8

Cooking time: 45 minutes approximately

Ingredients

• For gravy
  • Sour curd – 2 cup
  • Water – 3 cups
  • Bengal gram flour (kadalai mavu, besan) – 2 table spoon
  • Turmeric powder – ¾ tea spoon
  • Red chili powder – 1½ tea spoon
  • Coriander powder – ½ tea spoon
  • Salt – as per taste
• For pakodas
  • Bengal gram flour – 2 cup
  • Onion (chopped nicely) – 1 no
  • Coriander and curry leaves chopped finely – 2 table spoon
  • Ginger chopped – 1 tea spoon
  • Green chilli chopped – 2 no
  • Sodium bi carbonate (cooking soda) – pinch
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tea spoon
  • Red chilli powder – ½ tea spoon
  • Cooking oil – as required to fry pakodas
  • Salt – as per taste
• For seasoning
  • Garlic chopped – 5 pods
  • Onion chopped nicely – 1 no
  • Ginger chopped – ½ tea spoon
  • Green chilli chopped –  2 no
  • Mustard – ¼ tea spoon
  • Cumin seed – ¼ tea spoon
  • Fenugreek seed – ¼ tea spoon
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Asafetida powder – pinch

Method

Step 1

• Add 3 cups of water in 2 cups of curd and beat it well; add red chilli, turmeric, coriander powder, salt, Bengal gram flour; mix well and keep aside.
• Mix all items given for pakodas except oil to a thick paste (like idly batter).

Step 2

• Heat a pan with oil, deep fry pakodas of small size in low flame.

Step 3

• Heat a pan, add 1 tea spoon of oil, do the seasoning with mustard, asafetida, cumin seed, fenugreek and then curry leaves; fry well by adding chopped garlic, ginger, green chilli; add chopped onion and let all fry well to a golden colour; add prepared gravy (step 1); mix well, stir in between, bring to boil and keep for 3 to 5 minutes in low flame for the raw smell to leave; add pakodas, mix well gently; remove from flame.
• Keep it for 10 minutes; transfer it to a serving dish, garnish with coriander leaves.

• Serve hot with Chapatti. Also suitable for steamed Rice.

Tips

• The pakoda batter should not be too thick or too watery.
• Make sure enough water is available in the gravy for pakodas to absorb water.

This post is part of “Side dish for Chapathi” event organised by Viki’s Kitchen.