January 28, 2016

Kadhi – Indian Yogurt Soup


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December saw some warm and balmy days and we were deceived to believe that winter wouldn’t be so bad after all. But we were wrong and it was harsh. To fight our winter blues, hearty bowls of soups have found our way into our diet. One of the easiest to prepare is Yogurt soup or Kadhi as we call it in India. With just buttermilk and a few ingredients in hand, you can indulge in a creamy bowlful of bliss.

Kadhi has its own regional variations all over India. Most popular being the Punjabi version which has a thicker consistency.  I prefer the thinner version and that has a balance between the sour and sweet. This recipe take the best of the Gujrati and the Maharashtrian versions spiced with crushed ginger, garlic, green chilies and a few aromatic spices. A special ingredient that my mother in law uses while preparing this soup is edible Sea Lichen/black stone flower (Dagadphool – in marathi). The black stone flower is remarkably aromatic and one of the most unusual spices in the Indian repertoire. You can skip this spice if you cannot find it – but I love the flavour it gives.

I love this dish because of its simplicity and yet packed with so much flavour.

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Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

For Kadhi : 
1 cup Yogurt, preferably sour
3 tbsp Chickpea Flour or Besan
Salt per taste
1-2 tsp Sugar
8-10 sprigs of Coriander leaves, chopped
4 cups of water

For Tempering : 
4-5 Curry Leaves
4-5 edible Sea Lichen/black stone flower
2 tbsp Ghee or clarified butter
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1dried red chilli (optional)
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 Green Chilies, crushed or finely chopped
1″ Ginger, grated
3-4 small cloves of Garlic, crushed or finely chopped
Pinch of asafoetida powder
Pinch of turmeric

METHOD:

  1. Dilute yogurt by whisking in water together.
  2. Dilute chickpea flour with some water to make a paste that is lump free. Then add this to the yogurt and mix until combined. Ensure there are no lumps in the yogurt mixture.
  3. Add salt, sugar and set aside
  4. In a deep saucepan, heat ghee. Once hot, reduce the flame to low and add the tempering spices in order – asafoetida, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, dry red chili, cloves, bay leaf, black stone flower and fenugreek seeds.
  5. Next add crushed green chilli, ginger and garlic and fry until the raw smell of garlic disappears. Be careful not to burn any of the spices.
  6. Add a few chopped coriander leaves and saute it.
  7. Now add the yogurt carefully to the tempering and keep stirring almost constantly until the kadhi thickens a bit. Do not be tempted to increase the heat – it may curdle the mixture.
  8. When you see the mixture thickening a bit and the raw smell of chickpea flour disappear – you know the kadhi is ready. If you think the mixture has thickened a lot, you can add water little at time depending on the consistency you prefer.
  9. Garnish with remaining chopped coriander leaves and serve hot. This can be eaten with rice or just by itself.

Do give this a try and let me know how it turns out. If you send me a pic of your creation; I shall include it in the Reader’s testimonial Album on my facebook page.

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Love & Hugs,

Trupti


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