Punjabi kadhi or kadhi pakoda is a tangy and creamy side dish prepared by adding pakoda in chickpea flour / gram flour and sour curd gravy. I prepared moong dal vada / pakoda to add in this kadhi, which goes well with white rice. Here comes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4 to 5 people

• 10 to 12 nos - Moong dal vada / pakoda
• 1 cup - Sour curd / yogurt
• 2 tbsp - Gram flour / besan flour / kadalai mavu
• 1 no - Onion (chopped finely)
• 2 nos - Garlic (chopped finely)
• 1/4 inch - Ginger (chopped finely)
• 1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp - Red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp - Garam masala powder
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups - Water (or add as needed)
• Salt to taste

Seasonings:

• 1 tbsp - Oil
• 1/4 tsp - Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp - Cumin seeds
• 2 pinch - Fenugreek seeds
• 2 or 3 nos - Dry red chillies
• 4 or 5 nos - Curry leaves
• 2 pinches - Asafoetida

Preparation method:

1. Take a mixing bowl, add a cup of curd and besan / gram flour (sieved), mix well with hand beater so that no lumps are found.
2. Then add 2 to 2 1/2 cups of water to it and once again beat well. Now add all dry ingredients like turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and required salt to it, mix well and set it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, season with items given in the list for seasoning. Then add chopped onion, garlic and ginger, saute until they are golden brown in color.
4. Now add curd mixture and bring it to first boil, then simmer for 8-10 minutes. By this time the gravy becomes thick, if you find it very thick then add little more water to it.
5. Right time to add pakoda to the hot kadhi. Cover with lid and cook, let the pakoda be soaked in the kadhi for some time. Punjabi kadhi is ready and serve with hot rice.

Notes:

• I used leftover moong dhal vada or pakoda in this recipe, you can replace it with onion pakoda.
• Kadhi should not be too thick or too thin, it should be like more kuzhambu.
• Keep the flame in medium through out the cooking process.
• You can replace dry red chillies with green chillies.
• You can garnish with coriander leaves.