Kadhi or Spiced yogurt soup with chickpea dumplings

Kadhi or spiced yogurt soup is a fragrant, subtly spiced creamy gravy of sour yogurt that has been tempered with an incredible spice mix. Served hot along with with the spicy tangy pakodas (chickpea dumplings), this bowl of spiced yogurt soup is perfect with plain rice. The quintessential comfort dish of most North Indians and Sindhis, people all over India have now come to love this bowl of chickpea flavored yogurt. 

Comfort food—food that reassures—is different things to different people.”

We all have a particular dish ( or may be top five) that we can call our comfort food. And its unique to each one of us. It doesn’t necessarily stem from your memory or the region you grew up in, it may not be a family recipe. But for some, comfort food is the very definition of home. Simple, homely grub like dal, chawal or khichdi to most Indians. Food that was eaten daily while growing up and not reserved for special occasions to wow the guests. It might be a bowl of spaghetti to someone like me who finds sucking on the long strands of a bowl of aglio-e-olio to be extremely comforting. To my husband, its my Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani. Anytime he is happy, he wants me to make it. If he is upset, he want it then too, and a bout of sickness is almost always followed by this biriyani for him. To BabyD its her favorite cheese-cucumber sandwich. 

Yes, comfort food means different things to different people. But the essence of comfort food is the same. Its food for the soul, food that permeates the very being of us. It is mostly a full bodied, hearty , no frills nourishing food that doesn’t need a cloak of pretense to impress. It is soothing. It is endearing. It is reminiscent of your treasured days as a child. It is your mother.

As you guys know, I often go down that long winding nostalgic route to what my mom or granny cooked and how its shaped me. Comfort food is just like that..Like taking a trip to your favorite place, setting up camp and wishing no one would bother you while you are in your happy space. I long for certain dishes when I am blue, I long for a few more when I am happy. Point here is that – We all long for a comforting, soothing bowl of deliciousness every once in a while. It is what your heart craves for when it’s dark and gloomy outside. At the same time, it is also what you want to serve your family on bright Sunday morning gathered around a table,the room reverberating with laughter and happy chatter. Real and unpretentious, comfort food never gets old.

5.0 from 5 reviews

Kadhi or Spiced yogurt soup with chickpea dumplings

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Kadhi Pakoda or chickpea dumpling cooked in a smooth light yogurt gravy that's been tempered with the most delicious, fragrant spices. The quintessential comfort dish of most North Indians and Sindhis, people all over India have now come to love this bowl of chickpea flavored yogurt.

Author: Lapetitchef

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1. To make the PAKODA OR CHICKPEA DUMPLING:
• Besan -1/2 cup
• Onion chopped very finely..1 small
• Green chillies..2 chopped fine, deseeded.
• Ginger grated ¼ inch
• Coriander leaves chopped, handful .
• Seasonings:
• Salt acc to taste
• Kashmiri lal mirch 1 tsp
• Dhania powder ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder ½ tsp
• Chaat powder ½ tsp
• Baking Powder - ½ tsp
• Whole spices:
• Jeera or cumin ½ tsp
• Saunf or fennel ½ tsp
• Ajwain or Carom seeds ½ tsp
• Kaali jeera or Nigella seeds ½ tsp
• Oil to deep fry the dumplings.
• 2. To make the KADHI or SPICED YOGURT SOUP :
• Besan or chickpea flour - 4 tbsp
• Curd 1 cup
• Water 1.5 cups
• Onion sliced long, ½ an onion
• Ginger grated - ½ tbsp
• Garlic chopped fine - 1 tbsp
• Oil 1 tbsp
• Whole spices:
• Hing or asafoetida, a pinch
• Kashmiri lal Mirch powder 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Salt as per taste
• For tempering:
• Jeera cumin seeds
• Fennel or saunf
• Fenugreek seeds or methi dana
• Mustard seeds or sarson,
• Corainder seeds or dhania , 1 TSP each
• Red chillies 2
• Green Chili, whole 1
• Curry leaves - 20
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Instructions

1. To make the Pakodas or CHICKPEA DUMPLING:
2. Mix everything well with a little bit of water till it forms a batter of dropping consistency. Not too thin. Should form little sphere of around 1 inch.
3. Leave it aside for 15 mins.
4. Heat up a kadhai with oil, once the oil is hot, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil, fry till golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Keep aside till needed.
5. Remember to fry on medium heat to ensure the pakodas are cooked through.
6. Also, test with a little batter first. It should rise up immediately with a sizzle when you put it into the hot oil.
7. Oil should be just bubbling, but not smoking.
8. HOW TO MAKE THE SPICED YOGURT SOUP OR KADHI:
9. Begin by whisking together the curd, besan and the masala powder in a bowl.
10. Whisk till mixed uniformly and it looks smooth.
11. Then add the water to it and whisk again. Keep aside.
12. Heat up a cauldron. Once hot, add some oil, add in the whole spices.
13. After the spices are cracked, add in the hing, the ginger,garlic and saute for 1 min.
14. Add the onion, saute for 2 mins.
15. Add in red chillie powder.. fry very well for about 2 mins till the onion becomes fragrant and light brown.
16. Now stir in the besan curd mix to it and let it come to a boil.
17. Reduce to low flame and let it simmer for 15-20 mins till thick.
18. Add the reserved pakodas or dumplings to it and cook for a further 5 mins till it reaches the correct consistency and the pakodas soak up the goodness of the kadhi.
19. For TEMPERING:
20. Heat some oil in a small pan or tempering spoons ( found easily in India).
21. Once hot, add all the ingredients listed under Tempering. Start with Red chillies, Curry leaves, Green chillies, Mustard seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Coriander, Cumin and Fennel.
22. Let it cook for 1 min till fragrant.
23. Pour immediately over the kadhi and cover with a lid immediately.
24. Rest for 10 mins before serving with hot steamed rice or Poori.

3.5.3208