Sunday, May 11, 2008

Ma's Kadhi

There are many things in my ma's cooking that I crave for almost everyday. But there is something really special about her kadhi. There have been more than several incidents when I would be thinking of ma's kadhi at work, and when I would call her the next day and happen to ask what she cooked/plans to cook for lunch - her answer would be kadhi-chawal! Also there were innumerable times when I would come home from college hungry and craving for kadhi-chawal and it would be on the table! I don't know how that happens but it has happened enough number of times that I don't get surprised any more :)

I normally like any kind of kadhi, but this one is my favorite - pakode wali kadhi with aromatic ginger and garlic. I believe each ingredient makes a difference as you can taste each and every single thing that goes in this kadhi. Here is ma's recipe -

For Pakoda (about 10 pakodas) -
Besan (chickpea flour) - about 5-6 Tbps
Very finely chopped onion - 2 tbsp
Very finely chopped 1-2 green chiles and handful of cilantro
Salt and red chile powder to taste.
Water to mix.
Oil to deep fry.

Mix all of the above very well, don't make the batter very thick or the pakodas will remain hard even after adding to the kadhi. I like them soft and juicy after they've been cooked in the kadhi. Let the batter stand for 10 mins (if you have the time). Deep fry the pakodas in hot oil and keep aside (read - hide! or there won't be any left for the kadhi!).

For Kadhi (Serves 2) -
Besan (chickpea flour) - 1.5 Tbsp
Plain Yogurt (low fat, no fat anything is fine), slightly sour yogurt works the best - 3/4th Cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4th tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red chile powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Garlic (sliced thin in rounds) - 2-3 cloves
Ginger (grated) - 2 tsp
Green chile (slit lengthwise) - 1 or 2
Curry leaves - a few (IF you can find them!)
Salt to taste
Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp

Method
Whisk together yogurt and besan with a cup of water to get rid of lumps if any.
Heat oil, once it is warm enough add mustard seeds. As the first ones begin to crackle add fenugreek seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds and add green chiles, ginger and garlic.
Saute till ginger-garlic turn golden. Add red chile powder, turmeric and salt and add yogurt-besan mixture quickly and mix well. It is important to be quick here or the spices will burn. Its a good idea to pre measure and mix them.
At this point the kadhi wouldn't look yellow, if its of thickish consistency, add more water as the kadhi will thicken on cooking. Simmer till it begins to boil and look yellow. The objective is to make sure the kadhi is close to done before adding the pakodas. Boiling too long after adding pakodas will cause them to break (specially if you succeeded in making them soft :)) And adding them too late will leave them dry. Add pakodas and bring to a boil, simmer for a few more minutes.
Garnish with fresh cilantro (it adds a lot to the flavor, mom doesn't make kadhi if she doesn't have cilantro at home :))





Serve with hot rice (cooked with a little salt). I love radish on the side with kadhi-chawal but onions and mango pickles work well too! This kadhi is great on its own too, I usually finish a bowl before even reaching for the rice :)



I was hoping to post this on Mother's day for my dearest Ma who is so far away from me but still knows everything that I feel even without asking me about it. Love you Ma!

22 comments:

Swati Raman Garg said...

toooo good.... ur kadhi looks perfect.. ur pics... mindblowing... iam a fan of kadhi and urs look perfect....

Nupur said...

Oh my goodness...that meal is my idea of heaven :) Thank you for sharing your family recipe!

FH said...

Beautiful!! Good job Shweta. Great tribute to your mom, enjoy!:))

Arundathi said...

love the photos...v nice!

ranji said...

soooo good...looks perfect:)

Unknown said...

looks yummy..love this khadhi..

musical said...

Now this is one special kadhi, dear! What with Mom's love and the special feelings that went into making this meal. Thanks girl, and welcome back :).

Richa said...

vadhiya ji vadhiya!
kadhi chawal the ever fav :)

Anonymous said...

Good click, nice post and recipe...

Rupa said...

Love pakodi kadhi..Urs looks Yum,nice pics.Liked your kadai too :)

Rupa said...

Love pakodi kadhi..Urs looks Yum,nice pics.Liked your kadai too :)

Rupa said...

First time on your blog..loved all your recipes.Have bookmarked it..will try one by one..Thanks

Meera said...

Simply gorgeous! Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, it looks delicious, this recipe is quite similar to my family's recipe too. Dahi ki Kadi, as we call it, is my all time fav with some Basmati Chawal. The pictures are too good!

www.zaiqa.net

Shweta said...

Swati - Thanks! I love kadhis too. I wanna try your khichdi with baniyo wala tadka :)

Nupur - Plain hot rice with kadhi/daal/beans is my idea of heaven too!

Ashaji! How have you been? Thanks for the note! Ma is travelling, I am waiting for her to access my blog and see this post :)

Arundathi, Thanks! I am not great at taking good pics, some times they come out good, mostly not so good!

Musy, Thanks yaar! You got it right, some food is loved more for the feelings than the taste! This one aces in both departments for me :)

Richa ben, Thank you ji! Good to hear from you :)

Mansi said...

I love Punjabi Kaddhi, and that one looks beautiful Shweta! a pic like that near lunch time does no good girl!!:)

Hetal said...

nice kadhi.....loks very yummy!!

karuna said...

wowwo, the kadhi looks tempeting. though i am not much of a fan of the dish, but the pictures sure make my mouthwater.....

Shweta said...

Cilantro, thanks :) And thanks for dropping by!

Rupa, Thanks! If you try a recipe from here do let me know how it turned out :)

Meera, Thanks! Glad you liked it!

Mona, That is interesting :) We share a favorite then!

Mansi, Imagine I saw your stuffed capsicum just before lunch, and imagine what that did to me!! :))

Hetal, Thanks dear!

Karuna, Thanks :) and Welcome!

Raaga said...

love love love kadhi... and yours is sooooooooooo perfectly creamy

implodinginward said...

hi swetha,i was loking for pictues for my papdi chaat and ragda patties recipe to send across to a friend of mine who is very particular about the look of the dish,and guess what!, i found u!what a find!i liked ur kadhi recipe,which is similar to our rajastani recipe,where we do not use garlic.we can make this kadhi with peasor spinach also.i have a tip for all interested, to make sure the pakoras are soft,dump them in a bowl of hot water for 5 mins,press gently and remove water and slide them in a few mins before serving! they will be just right.

AMIT said...

It looks very nice.Good recipe shared too.

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