It’s Killer Kadhi and Khichdi

Punjabi Pakoda Kadhi and Khichdi

We have effortlessly selected foods with changing colors of nature and developed the taste with the cycle of shades. Yellow, green, and whites are considered comforting food while dark shades are reserved entirely to balance the tones of nights. Curd, beans, leafy veggies, salads, lemons, and all these goodies reflect the freshness of daytime and are always welcomed with great joy and on another hand, we opt for a shaded theme supper to end our day under the blanket of natural disco lights. Every being has its own choice of lifestyle, some enjoy their lunch by simply having a crunchy bowl of salad or delicious pasta while others like me would find happiness in digging a spoon in a big bowl of kadhi khichdi. Kadhi on a mound of fragrant steamed khichdi is a definition of satisfaction.

Kadhi Khichdi is an authentic pair and indian style of delectable cuisine, and adding pokadas or onion fritters makes it extra tempting and fancy. Khichdi is a rice dish prepared by adding a generous amount of lentils mingled with the flavors of allspice. When this flavorful khichdi gets teamed up with fritters packed yogurt curry – they burst with vivid flavors forming tangy, spicy, and awesome taste. Give it a try to this recipe if you haven’t tasted it yet, it’s a bomb of flavors and keeps your gut healthy.

Pakoda Kadhi + Khichdi

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Serves: 2 persons

Ingredients:

For Curry/ Kadhi:

1 cup of yogurt, sour in taste would be great

3 tablespoons gram flour

½ teaspoon red chili powder, if you like extra spice in your food otherwise skip to add

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon green chili paste

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¼ teaspoon asafoetida

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 ½ cups water

Salt as per taste

Onion Fritters:

1 large onion, finely chopped

½ cup gram flour

½ teaspoon red chili flakes

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

½ teaspoon salt / as per your taste

½ teaspoon chopped green chilies

A pinch of baking soda

Water as required

2 cups cooking oil

Khichdi / Lentils mixed Rice:

½ cup basmati rice

½ cup split skinned Bengal gram

2 tablespoons - finely chopped onion

1-inch cinnamon stick

5 cloves

5-7 peppercorns

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 cup water

Salt as needed

Recipe:

• Khichdi: Firstly, rinse and soak ½ cup Bengal gram lentils overnight or at least 4 hours in advance. Later before 1 hour of makings, soak ½ cup of rice.

Meanwhile, while the rice is being soaked – make the Kadhi/Curry:

• To a deep bowl, whisk 1 cup of sour yogurt with 3 tablespoons of gram flour until they form a thick consistency without any lumps.
• Add ½ teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon green chili paste, and 2 ½ cups water and whisk it well into a smooth consistency.
• In a pot, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil on a medium flame, add 1 tablespoon of mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon of fenugreek seeds, and allow it to splutter, once done add asafetida.
• Immediately add 1 teaspoon garlic paste, and 1 teaspoon ginger paste and allow it to cook for a few seconds.
• Then, pour in the whisk gram flour and yogurt spiced mixture into the pot. And gently keep on stirring the curry on a medium flame.
• Stir continuously until it comes to a boil, then lower down the flame and allow it to cook uncovered for a minimum of 30 minutes. Stir in between so that the curry doesn’t stick to the pot.

Pyaaz pakodas / Onion fritters:

• While the curry is boiling on low flame, make the onion fritters by simply mixing the chopped onions with ½ cup gram flour, ½ teaspoon red chili flakes, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon chopped green chilies and a pinch of baking soda and whisk the batter by adding water little by little.
• The consistency of the batter should be thick and not running. Leave the batter to rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, In a non-stick pan, heat 2 cups of cooking oil on a medium flame.
• As the oil is thoroughly heated up, mix the fritter batter once again and drop the batter gently with the help of a spoon.
• Allow it to fry from all sides on a medium to low flame until it turns golden brown in texture and is perfectly cooked from within. Transfer the fritters to a paper towel.
• After 30 minutes when the kadhi is cooked, check its thickness. If you find it extra thick, you can add little water to achieve the desired consistency.
• Add the fritters into the curry pot and leave it aside for at least 15 minutes, so that the fritters absorb well with the flavors of curry.
• As the fritters are soaking in curry let’s prepare the khichdi.

Khichdi time:

• Drain all the water from the split, skinned bengal gram and rice. Keep aside.
• In a deep pot, heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil or ghee, and add 1 tablespoon cumin seeds and finely chopped onions.
• When the onions become translucent, add 1-inch cinnamon stick, 5 cloves, 5-7 peppercorns, and drained Bengal gram. Stir fry for a couple of minutes and add 1 cup of water. Cover the lid and cook the Bengal gram on medium heat until done but not mushy. Takes less than 20 minutes to cook.
• Add the rice to the cooked split skinned Bengal gram and stir gently, adjust the salt. The addition of water should be considered the same like we cook steamed rice but in this case, there will be already some water of Bengal gram hence we add less amount of water.
• Cover the pan and let the rice cook on a low flame. This way the Bengal gram would furthermore cook with rice forming a nice aromatic khichdi. Takes 15 minutes more to cook.
• Serve hot with pakoda kadhi. You can add chopped cilantro and a dollop of ghee for additional flavors in this dish. It’s yum!
• If you prefer hogging fenugreek leaves fritters - You can also add fenugreek leaves in onion fritters, they taste splendid.