A light, comforting dish for a simple afternoon lunch. My mother makes it for me, but this time I learnt to make it myself for the purpose of putting it up here!
Every household has a different version of it. However, this is our (my mother and my) version of Pakoda Kadi; served with hot phulkas and pickle.
Serves: 3-4 persons
Ingredients:
For the kadi:
Thick Yoghurt 1 cup
Gram flour (besan) 1 tbsp
Ginger (grated) 1 and 1/2 inch piece
Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Water 1 and 1/2 cups
For the pakoda:
Gram flour 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
Whole cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida (hing) a pinch
Salt to taste
Soda-bi-carb a pinch
Water to make a paste
Oil for deep frying
For the tadka:
Oil 4 tbsps
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Whole cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
Green chilli (chopped) 1 nos.
Curry leaves 8-9 leaves
Coriander leaves for garnish
For the phulkas:
Wheat flour (atta) 2 cups
Plain water to knead the dough
Method:
- For the kadi, in a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients listed under "for the kadi" EXCEPT water.
- Transfer this whisked mixture into a vessel and add the water. You may need more water depending on the consistency. The kadi should not be too thick, neither thin and runny. Keep on low heat to boil.
- In the meantime, in a separate bowl, put all the dry ingredients listed under "for the pakoda" EXCEPT the water.
- Now slowly add in the water. Keep stirring and add the water slowly because you need a thick, paste-like mixture for the pakoda. The consistency should be thick.
- Keep the oil to heat and once it is heated, spoon out small portions of the above batter into the oil very carefully.
- Do not overcrowd the oil and do not fry too many pakodas at once.
- Fry the pakodas on medium heat until they get a nice, golden colour.
- Take them out and drain on kitchen tissue for a minute.
- Now, drop these pakodas into the boiling kadi.
- Once you add the pakoda to the kadi, do not use a spoon to stir. Just shake the vessel. If you use a spoon, the soft pakodas might break.
- Turn off the heat of the kadi, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and keep aside.
- Keep a pan for the tadka and heat oil.
- Crackle the mustard seeds, whole cumin, chopped green chilli and curry leaves. Fry for half a minute.
Note- Whenever you use mustard seeds in your dish, always make sure you add it to the oil before all the other ingredients and also make sure that the mustard seeds crackle. This is important because if you hurry and the mustard seeds do not crackle and sputter, your entire dish will be ruined and will end up being bitter and nasty.
- Pour this tadka over the kadi and cover with a lid so the flavours come together.
- For the phulkas, take a clean bowl, put the wheat flour and slowly add the water, just enough to knead a soft dough. Allow to rest for atleast half an hour.
- Roll out into chappathis and put on a hot tava (pan) without any greasing like oil or ghee.
- Once it is done on one side, flip it over on the pan for one second using tongs and then flip it on the flame to puff up.
- You can apply some ghee to your phulkas once they are done if you wish. I did not because I would like to believe that I am trying to diet ;)
Tweaking tips:
- You can jazz up your pakodas by adding in some finely chopped onion, chopped palak leaves, methi leaves or coriander leaves or even a combination; I like mine plain.
- If you wish to make plain kadi, just follow the exact same recipe. Omit the pakodas.
Happy Cookin' & Keep it stylish!!
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