KADHI PAKODA

KADHI PAKODA

 KADHI PAKODA

RECIPE TYPE: main dish                      CUISINE: north indian                          SERVES: 4-5

INGREDIENTS:-  

FOR KADHI:-

* Sour curd -1.5 cup or 375 gram curd
* Water - 3 cups or add as required
* Red chilli powder or lal mirch - ½ tsp
* Turmeric powder/ haldi - ½ tsp
* Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
*  Pinch of asafoetida/hing
* Salt - 1 to 1.5 tsp or add as required
* Besan or gram flour - 8 tbsp or about 40 grams
* Mustard oil or sunflower oil or any oil for shallow frying or deep frying pakoras

FOR PAKORAS:-

* Besan or gram flour -1cup
* Red chilli powder/lal mirch - ½ tsp
* Turmeric powder/haldi - ½ tsp 

* Garam masala powder - ½ tsp r
* Carom seeds/ajwain -½ tsp
* Salt to taste

* Water - ¼ cup water

FOR THE KADHI TADKA:-

* Ginger/adrak - 1 tbsp chopped
* Garlic finely chopped - ¾ to 1 tbsp
* Fenugreek seeds/methi seeds - 8-10

* 2 Green chillies chopped
* 2 Red chillies broken
* Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 tsp

* Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

* Carom seeds/ajwain - less than 1tsp
* Pinch of asafoetida/hing
* 8 to 10 curry leaves
2 tbsp mustard oil

INSTRUCTIONS:-

PREPARING THE CURD MIXTURE:-

1. In a bowl take 1.5 cups sour curd or about 375 grams of curd. whisk it well till smooth
2. Add 8 tbsp gram flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and 1 tsp salt to the whisked curd. Stir and mix everything again.

3. Add 3 cups water and stir again.
4. Stir very well to make a smooth mixture without lumps. if there are lumps, then break them with a wire whisk or a spatula or with your fingers. keep the curd mixture aside. you can use a blender to make this mixture, but make sure you haven’t over do it. you will get butter instead of a smooth blended curd

PREPARING THE PAKORAS:-

* Put 1 cup gram flour/besan in a bowl and add ajwain/carom seeds, red chili powder, garam masala powder and salt or as required.
* Mix everything well and keep aside covered for 30 minutes.
* Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. with a spoon or with your hands drop the pakora batter in the oil.
* When the pakoras are partly cooked, then turn over and fry the other side.
fry till the pakoras are crisp and golden.

* Remove the fried pakoras and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. Fry the pakoras in batches this way. when done keep all of them aside.

PREPARING THE KADHI:-
* In another pan or kadai, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil.
* Add the 1 tsp cumin seeds, 8 to 10 methi seeds and a pinch of asafoetida. Allow the cumin seeds to crackle and the methi seeds to change their color. Fry on a low flame, so that these spices do not get burnt.
* Then add 1 tbsp chopped ginger/adrak, chopped garlic and green chillies, stir and saute for a minute.
Now add curry leaves, dry red chilies (halved or broken). Stir and saute for a minute on a low flame,then add the curd mixture.
* Stir very well.Increase the flame to medium and bring the kadhi to a boil. keep on stirring often so that the bottom does not get brown

* Low the flame and then simmer the kadhi until the kadhi will thicken. if the kadhi becomes too thick, then add some hot water.
* Now add the pakoras in the kadhi. stir gently.
* Cover the kadhi with a lid and let the pakoras be soaked in the kadhi for 8 to 10 minutes.
 * Sprinkle some garam masala powder on the kadhi.
* Serve the kadhi pakora with steamed rice or jeera rice,  you could also have kadhi with rotis or parathas.

NOTE:-

(measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)
for kadhi mixture:

If you like onion then you can use in tadka or pakoras. Please give your precious comments