Skip to main content

Kadhi Chawal



I just can't think of what to write today. That's what my absolute favorite meal does to me, I just want to stop talking and dig right in. So I won't ramble and go straight on the recipe for kadhi.

First, make the pakoras that would go in the kadhi. Slice an onion lengthwise. Make a batter with 1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan), salt, red chilli powder and water. Dip onions in this batter and deep fry until crisp. Keep aside.

Now blend 1 cup yogurt and 1/3 cup besan into a paste. Add 3-4 cups water to make a very thin blend. Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan. Add a tsp each of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ajwain (carom seeds) and methre (fenugreek seeds). Let splutter for a few seconds. Now add a large onion, cut lengthwise into thin slices and cook until browned lightly. Pour in the yogurt/besan mix and add 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for at least half an hour. You have to stir this occasionally but apart from this you can leave the kadhi pretty much on its own.

The kadhi has to be fairly thick - if you've had a thin, watery kadhi before that was the Gujarati version. This one's the hearty Punjabi one, so just before you take it off the stove add the reserved pakoras and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp of garam masala to up the spiciness and a tsp of amchur (dried mango powder) to add the tangy flavor.

What are you waiting for now; go right ahead and eat with plain rice. And because it's impossible to make kadhi in small quantities (or so my mom says), you will end up having leftovers for dinner. I'm having mine with roti and plenty of ghee tonight!

Comments

Mrs.Kannan said…
I never tasted Kadhi,But by the look of yours i should test and taste some.it looks awesome
Rachel said…
You make it sound so easy..I have never got the taste right until now...I'll follow your steps...
Vaishali said…
I guess I could try this with soy yogurt. Looks like real comfort food.
Bharti said…
I'll try your version next time I make it.
Anonymous said…
I never tried kadhi...want to try it out. Thanks for sharing..
Anonymous said…
Looks great. I have tasted but not made Kadhi. Will try this one out.
kadhi chawaal.... abhi going to have a late lunch... chole chawal banaye hain apne punju miya ke liye.... yaar aur bhookh lag gayi... mere pakode hard dikhte hain... tumhare jaise nai ... :(
Medhaa said…
Love this kadhi. Looks really good.
Unknown said…
oh well if that kadhi tasted as good as it looks, even I won't have been able to write...:)
Usha said…
Kadhi chawal is the best kind of comfort food...looks good...
Srikitchen said…
that looks inviting! new recipe for me! come and join in the chicken event going in my blog!
This looks really good, though I have never tasted it. Will definitely try out soon.
PG CakeCraft said…
Hi, nice blog you hve here. ur kadhi looks tasty. mind if i take a bite?
Sunshinemom said…
This used to be such a comfort dish before! Since I can't seem to get soy yogurt i haven't tried the vegan version yet! Yummy stuff this one:)
Kadhi Chawak is my favourite too.
Anonymous said…
I made Kadhi from this recipe and I'm a beginner cooker, and this just turned out DELICIOUS!!! I suggest everyone to try it!!!
Ambika said…
Hey Simran, I made kadhi pakora today and wanted to tell you that it is out of this world!!!! Thanks a ton!!!!!

Popular posts from this blog

Announcing AWED : Britain

Before I ate my first Italian wood fired pizza, before I went to that swanky Japanese sushi bar for the first time, or the neighborhood Chinese joint, the first non-Indian cuisine I encountered was British. Not real food, mind you, but the tempting, oh so delicious descriptions in my favorite novels. From Enid Blyton to Jane Austen to P.G. Wodehouse, every favorite character in every favorite novel seems to have food on their mind. Yes, British food gets ridiculed a lot. But forget their main course dishes for now, and think of the full English breakfast and the elegant afternoon teas. Then try imagining the world without cucumber sandwiches or potato chips and you will realize you can't do without British food. Which is why when I saw that DK was looking for hosts for her monthly event AWED (A Worldly Epicurean's Delight) and there has never been a British AWED, I promptly signed up. The rules are simple really: Make any vegetarian or vegan British dish (eggs are

Mystery Fruit

This only happened a few times every year, just when the rainy season kicked in. A street hawker will come by, straw basket on head. He will yell "kaul chapni" and I will run out to buy a bundle of these. Stuck together like flowers, they looked like a bouquet. Every hole contains a little fruit. You break out the package, peel the tiny fruit that pops out and eat it. Done slowly, it can take you an hour to eat an head. Or did, when I was about 12 years old. That was the last time I saw this fruit. I've never seen it again, didn't even know what it was called or where it came from. Three weeks back, Vikram Doctor wrote about a store in Khar that sells Sindhi foods. He described this fruit and I knew it came from my vivid childhood memories. And finally, I knew we were talking about lotus fruit. Now talk about coincidences. Last weekend, I was passing by a lane in Bandra and for the first time in many, many years I saw the straw basket filled with my mytery fru

Of Brun and Bun Maska

There is more to Bombay's breads than the pao that goes into pao bhaji and vada pao. There's Brun. and there's bun. We will get there. First, you have to get to know the city's Parsis. And Iranis, who are also Zoroastrians, but came to city a little later, in the late 19th or early 20th century. And when they came, they brought with them these little cafes that dot the city. I am no expert on Irani chai cafes. And I can't tell you whether Yazdani Bakery will provide you the best experience or Kyani's. But I can tell you a few things you need to ignore when you get there. Appearances don't matter; so ignore the fact that the marble/glass top tables and the wooden chairs look a bit dilapidated. Also ignore the rundown look the place sports. Instead, get yourself settled. And order a bun muska. This one's familiar to you as a first cousin of the soft hamburger bun. It's similar, but just a tad bit sweeter. Maska, of course, is the generous dollop o