Mangochi Kadhi

Mangochi Kadhi

The first time I had Mangochi Kadi was at an event at one of the hotels in my city. I absolutely loved it. For those who do not know, Kadhi is a yogurt based curry which is made in many parts of India and varies as per the region. For me I adore the one from Punjab, thick spicy and luscious.

The one I had at the hotel was celebrating food from Delhi and since the chef is from Uttar Pradesh, a northern state of India the food was heavily influenced by food from the state. I loved the spread and this particular dish stuck with me. Firstly the yogurt based gravy is tangy with a hint of spice and the soft spongy lentil fritters soak up all the goodness of the yogurt based gravy and it is a sheer delight to have this with some Basmati rice or a variant of rice of your choice.

Making Kadhi is easy but needs some amount of patience on the cook's part. Ever since I learnt this tip from celebrity chef Harpal Singh Sokhi's videos my Kadhi has never ever split again.

And then there is the small tip on how you can get the softest spongiest pakoda (lentil fritters)

It was only when I was soaking the pulse that I realized my grandmother makes a similar dish though not yogurt based where she soaks pulse and blends it but makes koftas out of them which are not deep fried but rather grilled on a tawa on the stove top and used in a curry changing the texture of the lentil dumplings.

I did not follow a particular recipe but did take tips from here and there. In fact I have been wanting to make this Kadhi for almost a month now but got around to doing so after Ruchi from Foodfellas4U posted her recipe but then again she made a tomato based gravy and since I find the  tomatoes available during the summers and monsoons in India to be a bit bland I made Kadhi the yogurt based gravy.

For this recipe you do have to plan a bit ahead. You have to soak the pulse overnight or for a good 8 hours or so.


Serves 3 to 4

Cup used holds 210ml liquid

1 cup split moong pulse
2 green chili
1/4th tsp ginger paste

200gm yogurt
500ml to 600ml water
3 cloves
7 to 8 whole peppercorn
2 large dried red chili
Pinch of hing / asafoetida
Salt as per taste
1 large bay leaf
1 heaped tsp cumin powder
1 heaped tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chili powder

Mustard oil for frying the lentil fritters
1 tsp ghee
Pinch of turmeric
Finely chopped cilantro or coriander leaves for garnishing


Wash the pulse till the water runs clear. Now soak the pulse overnight or for 8 hours.

Drain the pulse and blend it with 2 green chilies , a pinch of salt and 1/4th tsp ginger paste till you get a fluffy smooth mixture. Do not add any water. This pulse mixture will be thinner than the pulse mixture made with soaked Urad pulse. Take this pulse mixture in a separate bowl. Do not wash the blender.

Blend 200gm yogurt in the same blender in which you have blend the pulse. The little bit of pulse mixture which is stuck to the blender when blend with the yogurt helps in thickening the Kadhi. Normally some gram flour is mixed with yogurt when making Kadhi but here that will not be required.

Now take the yogurt in a bowl. Add 500ml to 600ml water bit by bit and whisk it well. Add salt and turmeric and whisk well.

Heat oil and make little fritters from the pulse mixture. Kep a bowl filled with water near you. You have to keep adjusting the flame from medium to high to low. Ideally when you are putting the batter in the oil it should be hot and and then lower it to medium or low. It takes a bit of time and practice to master this technique. Once a batch is browned but not burnt. To prevent burning you need to keep adjusting the heat. So once the fritters are fried put them in the bowl of water. This way a lot of oil is soaked by the water so that your fritters are less oily in the end. I learnt this tip of soaking the fritters in water from Ruchi's blog.

Once all the fitters are fried pour excess oil in another bowl and reserve it to be used once again but make sure this oil is not used after the second time. Now take 1 tsp mustard oil and 1 tsp ghee and heat it and asafoetida, cloves, whole peppercorn, dried red chili and bay leaf  and fry it for a few seconds. Make sure you do not char them and then add the yogurt mixture, cumin powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and a bit of extra turmeric . Now is where you need a bit of hard work. Keep stirring the pot constantly on medium to low heat till it comes to a bowl. It takes time and it can be a bit frustrating but this is the only way to ensure your Kadhi is velvety smooth.

Once it comes to a boil gently squeeze the fritters but ensuring that you do not break them and add it to the pot where the Kadhi is simmering and simmer for 7 minutes to 10 minutes and rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped coriander /cilantro leaves. Serve with hot rice.

Tips

1. When making the fritters you have to keep adjusting the heat from high to medium. When you add the batter to the oil it should be hot else the fritters become hard and then adjust heat to medium to prevent burning.
2. It is extremely important to keep stirring the pot constantly after adding the yogurt mixture to ensure the Kadhi remains velvety smooth. 

Khasta Kachori

Khasta Kachori 

 The festivals bring forth the joy of celebrations and celebration is incomplete without gastronomic indulgence. For The Festival of Lights , Diwali, here is some Khasta Kachori a popular snack from North India.

While growing up I have mostly seen my own family hosting luncheons or dinner parties. The truth is even if a guest was invited over for tea they were always made to stay till dinner which is why the idea of snacks was always neglected a little bit in anticipation of the exquisite dishes prepared for the main meals.

It was only during a particular celebration, when my grandmother would make these amazing Samosas for breakfast since for that occasion everybody stayed over from morning till evening.

By the time I grew up I had developed an intense passion for cooking which borders on obsession which in turn makes my grandmother extremely happy since I apparently remind her of her mother who would churn out immaculate delicacies from the kitchen.

Sitting far away from home I dedicate this to my grandmother and can't wait to go back home and make these for her.


Makes about 8 Kachoris :-

1/2 cup Split black gram aka Dhuli Urad Dal
Pinch of asafoetida aka hing
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4th tsp saunf
1 tsp red chili Powder
Pinch of turmeric powder
Salt as per taste
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1 heaped tsp dry mango powder
2 tbsp melted clarified butter aka ghee
2 tbsp raisins

For the dough :-

2 cups of all purpose flour (cups used hold 210ml liquid)
3 tbsp non-melted clarified butter aka ghee stored in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup ice cold water
The tiniest pinch of bi-carbonate of soda

Oil for deep frying

Basically making these kachori is one of the most easy things if you understand its characteristics.

Soak the pulse for a good 6 hours and then drain it of all the water and grind it to a paste.

Start with the dough. If you have made pie shell before you would know the concept behind using a lot of fat and ice cold water. This helps in creating the flakiness. Mix the flour and ghee to form a crumb like consistency and add salt and sprinkle water to create a firm dough and wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

The final filling minus the raisins 

Now heat 2 tbsp melted ghee and add the asafoetida aka hing, cumin seeds, saunf and then add the pulse and add the chili powder, turmeric, salt , coriander powder , sugar and mango powder and mix really well and sprinkle a bit of water and cook on low heat for 7 minutes to 10 minutes. Make sure it doesn't burn. You'l know its done when it starts leaving the side of the pan, add the raisins and once it cools divide it into 8 parts .

Now divide the dough into 8 equal halves and then make balls out of them and then flatten them a bit with the palm of your hand and roll out a little bit in a way where the center remains a bit thick and place the filling which should be almost the same size as the balls and now roll out the edges and then dip your hands in water and fold the dough to make a pouch and flatten it out so that you create a flattened ball.

Press the flattened balls against your palm  to increase the size but make sure no cracks are formed and once you are done with all 8 of them put them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Now deep fry them on low heat till it turns into a brown colour on both sides. It takes about 8 minutes on each side but do check to ensure that it doesn't burn. You should ideally keep turning them so that it doesn't burn on one side.

Important tips :-

1. The large amount of clarified butter results in flaky crispy delightful kachoris so please do not cut down on the amount 
2. Fry at low temperature to medium temperature controlling it  at all times else you end up with burnt kachoris
3. When you are sealing the Kahoris make sure there are no cracks 

Serve with some sweet and sour Sonth Ki Chutney . Recipe : Sonth Ki Chutney

Thick Lentil Soup

Thick Lentil Soup 

Some soups can look and seem deceptively similar yet it is that addition or elimination of one ingredient which can give your soup a whole new dimension.

On a rainy day when you want to eat healthy this comes handy indeed and the pulse with all the vegetables blend together to make a creamy lentil soup is sheer comfort.

Makes 2 servings :-

3 small tomatoes
1/3rd cup pulse (cup which holds 210ml of liquid)
Half a medium red bell pepper
Half a medium yellow bell pepper
1 small onion
2 to 3 large cloves of garlic
2 cups of chicken stock
3 stalks of celery
Salt as per taste
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
1/4th to 1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano or herb of your choice

Smash the garlic, slice the onion and chop the other vegetables. Simple pressure cook the pulse till its well cooked with 1 cup of chicken stock and 1/4th cup water. Now heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan and add the smashed garlic and sliced onion. Cover and let it get sauteed on low flame for 30 seconds and then stir and add the rest of the vegetables and cover and let it be for 2 minutes and then add the rest of the chicken stock and bring to a boil and add the cooked pulse , salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Take it off the gas stove and let it cool down for 10 minutes and then blend away to make a  thick soup and then bring this to a boil and then add the oregano and chili flakes and simmer for 5 minutes to 7 minutes.

Have a healthy hearty soup

Sonal's Amritsari Dal

Sonal's Amritsari Dal 

When I follow a recipe to the tee it is either because I the recipe or because I trust the writer of the recipe and have full faith in the person's recipe. Today it was both. The moment I read about this fantastic Amritsari Dal from my friend Sonal's blog, Simply vegetarian777, I knew it would be a beautiful mushy thick pulse.

There is a second reason why I knew I must follow this recipe. Sonal is one of the few people who gives importance to one's health and her recipes are always always healthy. The other reason why I love love love this recipe is because of the minimum number of ingredients required.  I did cut down the recipe by half as per my requirement . 

Serves 2 to 3 

Anyway here is the recipe for Sonal's Amritsari Dal :- 

1/2 cup whole urad dal
1/8th cup chana dal
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 mint leaves
2 whole red chilies
Salt as per taste
3/4th tsp cumin powder
Red chili powder as per taste - I needed 1/2 tsp
1 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 large tomato finely chopped
1/2 a small onion finely chopped
3 cups of water

Soak the pulses overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours. Now pressure cook them on low heat with 3 cups of water till the first whistle and then simmer for another 5 minutes.

Now heat the ghee and add cumin seeds . When the cumin seeds splutter then add the whole red chilies and onion and saute for sometime and add the ginger and tomato and cook on low heat till it beocmes a nice mushy paste and then add the pulse which you have cooked and bring to a boil and add salt, cumin powder and red chili powder and simmer for 15 minutes.

Enjoy a healthy meal with some wholewheat chapatis 

Vegetarian Dhansak

Vegetarian Dhansak 

Truth be told, for me my incredible love of Parsi food began when I moved to the erstwhile Bombay currently known as Mumbai in 2012. My stays are usually short in the City of Dreams but in that time I fell head over heels in love with this cuisine which is unique with its influence of Persian cuisine and of course the Western Indian influence. One of the dishes which caught my fancy was the Dhansak. Traditionally made with mutton (goat meat) it is also made with chicken. Now I usually avoid store bought spice mixes and so have made a big container of  Dhansak Masala. Now I was swamped with work this one day and had no chicken or mutton but a big box of this magic spice and what I like best about Dhansak is the addition of vegetables which makes it a super nutritious meal with some rice or chapati. Well traditionally it is taken with brown rice but I teamed it with some chapati (Indian wholewheat flat bread) since I prefer my flat bread. What attracts me is the fuss free preparation. Now there are many different family recipes but this is the  one I follow.

Serves 2

1/2 cup toor pulse
3 cups of water
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 small to medium onion
1/2 a big tomato
1 heaped tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander, cumin powder in equal portions
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp  Dhansak Masala

Simply pressure cook the pulse and pumpkin with 1.5 cup of water and half the amount of ginger garlic paste. Once done let it cool and blend away to make thick pulse paste and now heat some oil and add the remaining ginger garlic paste, add sliced onions and blend tomatoes. Once sauteed well add the cumin coriander powder , turmeric and chili powder. Add the blend pumpkin pulse and the rest of the water and bring to a boil and add the Dhansak Masala. Simmer for sometime and then serve with hot rice or chapatis.