← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 400 g plain full-fat yogurt (slightly sour is best), at room temperature
• 40 g gram flour (besan)
• 700 ml Water
• ¼ tsp Ground turmeric (optional)
• 2 cm piece Ginger, finely grated
• 1 Green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp sugar or jaggery, to taste
• ¾ tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 tbsp ghee (or oil)
• ½ tsp Mustard seeds
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
• 1 small piece of cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 dried red chilli, broken in half
• 10 Curry leaves
• 1 pinch Asafoetida (hing) (optional)
• 2 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

1. Whisk the yogurt and gram flour in a large saucepan until completely smooth, with no lumps of flour. Gradually whisk in the water, then add the turmeric, ginger, chilli, sugar and salt.
2. Set the pan over medium heat and bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly so the yogurt doesn’t split. This takes 8–10 min.
3. Once it boils, lower the heat and simmer for 10–12 min, stirring often, until the raw flour taste has gone and it is as thick as a light, creamy soup. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
4. For the tempering, heat the ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add the cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves and dried chilli for 30 seconds, then the curry leaves and asafoetida for a few seconds more.
5. Pour the sizzling tempering into the kadhi, stir and simmer for 2 min. Taste: it should be gently tangy and lightly sweet, so balance with sugar or salt. Scatter with coriander and serve with plain rice or khichdi.

Tips

• Keep stirring until it boils: that is what stops the yogurt curdling. Once it has boiled, it is stable.
• Most asafoetida contains wheat flour, so use a gluten-free one or leave it out; gram flour itself is gluten-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Cook With Manali Ministry of Curry