Kadhi Pakoda (Bihari Kadhi)
Photo by Vinita Punjabi
This recipe was contributed by P.V. Narayanamoorthy.
This recipe is also known as Kadhi-Badi.
Ingredients
For the Kadhi
- 1 cup vegan curd, made sour with 1 tsp ground raw mango or 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder) added to it
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour (besan)
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp black pepper (kali mirch) powder
- 1 tsp cumin (jeera) powder
- 1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
- 1 tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- Unrefined salt to taste
- 2-3 cups water
- 1-2 green chillies, slit
- Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
For the Badi
- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 1 tsp carom (ajwain) seeds
- ½ tsp onion (kalonji) seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
- 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
- Unrefined salt to taste
To Temper
- 1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
- 2-3 whole dry red chillies
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Method
Mix all the ingredients for the badi with a little water to make a thick paste. Keep aside for 15 minutes. Make small balls of the badi dough and steam for 10 minutes.
Then bake these balls in a pre-heated oven at 200 °C for about 10 minutes (this stage is only to brown the balls, so please keep checking – otherwise, the balls may get burnt).
For the kadhi, mix the curd, besan, salt and spices in 2 cups of water. Beat for 5 minutes, to achieve a smooth, creamy mixture. Add more water, if you prefer a thin gravy.
In a kadhai, roast cumin seeds until they crackle. Add whole red chillies and sauté until fragrant. Add curry leaves. Now, add the kadhi mix and slit green chillies. Let this mixture cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Add the balls to the simmering kadhi gravy and simmer for 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with red/brown/black rice or millets. Enjoy!
Serves 4-5