Kadhi is one of those quintessential Indian dishes made with a spiced yoghurt-based sauce thickened with gram flour, and it's an everyday staple in states like Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. Each region changes the flavour a bit. The base is a tangy, creamy sauce simmered over spices like turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, and even sometimes fenugreek- it gives it its deep, layered colour and flavour. The most common form of Kadhi features soft, spongy gram flour fritters called pakoras simmering in the yoghurt gravy for a nice texture contrast against the silky sauce. Pakoras may be plain, with onions, spinach, or potatoes. The signature flavour in Kadhi is always given to the element of sourness by yoghurt and spices alike, both comfortingly soothing and delightfully refreshing. Usually, it is served with steamed rice, known as kadhi chawal, or Indian flatbreads like roti or chapati. Some prefer it served as a main dish, while others like it as a side dish. It is slowly cooked to allow flavours to mingle, making a rich, creamy texture that is soothing yet rather pungent. Some have a slightly sweet note, like the Gujarati Kadhi, whereas the Punjabi Kadhi has a trend for being more robust and with a tangy feel. This delicious and healthy dish uses yoghurt with its abundance of probiotics, gram flour, and a high protein count. Kadhi may be an incredibly versatile dish to enjoy at your comfort meal, especially in those chilly months, or it can be soothingly light for the summer.

• 400 gms curd
• 18 tbsp besan
• 1 pinch hing
• Oil
• 10-12 curry leaves
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 11/2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves
• 2 chopped onion
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 litre buttermilk
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp ajwain

• Mix 400 gms of curd or yoghurt and two tablespoons of gram flour or besan in a large bowl. Mix curd and besan properly till it is lump-free. You should know the reason why. If lumps are found in the mixture while cooked, it becomes a disaster. Add 1 litre of water to the curd mixture and mix again thoroughly. Keep the mixture aside. This is the kadhi base, and beating it well ensures consistency during the cooking process.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a deep pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add one teaspoon of mustard and 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds. Allow them to stumble a little and release their aromatic oils. Add a pinch of asafoetida or hing, which gives a depth of flavour to your kadhi.
• Just be careful that the spices do not get burnt. Keep shaking the pan two to three times and make sure it is well cooked.
• Add one finely chopped onion, one chopped green chilli, and 10-12 fresh curry leaves to the pan. On medium flame, saut this mixture for 5-6 minutes so that onions turn dark brown. Thus, the onions will get soft and caramelise and will, therefore, form the base of your flavourful kadhi.
• Add curd mixture along with the curry masala powder, mustard seeds, methi seeds or Fenugreek seeds along with those mustard and cumin seeds that you mixed earlier in the pan; add around 1/2 cup water so it's not too thick before it boils for its required paste to set in at your desired consistency.
• Once the onions turn golden brown, carefully pour in the whisked curd mixture. Now, stir continuously so the curd will not curdle, mainly as the batter would start heating up. Increase the heat a bit and bring this kadhi to a gentle boil while continuously stirring.
• If the kadhi boils up, decrease the flame so that it's swimming. Add turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, one teaspoon coriander powder, and 1 teaspoon salt to taste. Mix well, and all the spices are spread out evenly. Close the lid on the pan and let the kadhi simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Occasionally stir and allow the flavours to mix with the kadhi.
• Mix the gram flour to make pakoras in another bowl. Add 1 cup of gram flour, 1 finely chopped onion, one chopped green chilli, 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon of carom seeds (ajwain), and salt to taste and add water and stir to the required consistency-thick smooth batter.
• The batter becomes thick and soft. It should hold its shape when dropped in a hot oil vessel.
• In a frying pan, heat oil. The oil must be hot enough to spoon bits of the pakora into it. Fry those until they are golden and crispy, which should take about 4-5 minutes, depending on how big your packets are, and fry in batches if the pan gets too overcrowded.
• Remove the packets from the oil and place them on the paper towels so that excess oil may drain off.
• Once the kadhi starts simmering for 15-20 minutes and thickens, gradually add the fried pakoras to the pan with gentle stirring so that all the pakoras are coated with the kadhi. Let it cook for another 5-7 minutes so that all the flavours of the kadhi are absorbed by the pakoras.
• In the small pan, melt 1 tablespoon of ghee in medium. Add the cumin seeds; they will stumble. Now add the red chilli powder and garam masala powder too. Let this simmer for just one or two seconds with all the aromas released so throw this tempering straight over the kadhi. Gently mix the kadhi without letting it splash.
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot steamed rice or warm rotis. It is a comfort meal for the belly.