Kadhi Pakodi

As much as I love tangy kadhis i hardly make them because from what I understood my husband wasn't a big fan so I just stuck to the morkuzhambu recipe that he loves. However, I recentry tried making kadhi with pakodis cooked in the kuzhipaniyaram/appe pan instead of deep frying them so I could satisfy my cravings and found to my immense delight that my husband really liked the dish as well. Well, that was a win-win for me.

KADI PAKODI (No-Fry)


For the Pakodas:
Besan - 2/3 cup
Chopped Frozen Spinach - 1/4 cup, thawed
Onion - half, chopped
Green bell pepper - 1/4 cup, chopped
G. chillies - 3, chopped
Chilli powder - half tsp
Salt - to taste
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp

For the Kadhi:
Sour Yogurt - 2 cups
Besan - 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup
Water - 1 cup
Chilli powder - 1.5 tsp
Turmeric Powder - quarter tsp
Salt - 1.5 tsp, or to taste
Ginger - quarter inch piece, minced
Garlic - 1 clove, minced
Jeera seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves - few
Dried Red Chilli - 1
Oil - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves - for garnish

Method:

For the Pakodas:
1) Mix all the ingredients listed under the pakodas list and add water little by little to make a batter that's not too thick or thin... mine was almost like bajji batter, maybe a tad thicker. This consistency works great when using a kuzhipaniyaram/abeskiever pan to make the pakados. If you are deep frying them instead, sprinkle water and make it really thick so it doesn't absorb too much oil.

2) Heat a drop of oil in each depression of the kuzhi paniyaram pan and drop teaspoonfuls of the batter in each. Cover and let cook on a medium flame till light brown, flip over and cook uncovered till done. Keep these aside.

For the kadhi:
1) Blend the besan with the cup of water to a smooth paste. Whisk this in with the sour yogurt, chilli powder, salt & turmeric.

2) Heat the oil in a pan and the tempering ingredients - mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida (hing), curry leaves, red chilli broken in two, followed by the minced ginger and garlic.

3) It will brown pretty fast so watch out... immediately add the blended besan-yogurt mixture. Keep whisking this mixture so it doesn't separate for the first 5 minutes or so... When it's hot enough.. allow to simmer for a about 10 minutes or so till smooth and thickens lightly.

4) Add the cooked pakodas at this point and allow to simmer for 2 more mins.. before switching off the stove and adding coriander leaves. Tasty and easy kadhi is now ready to serve. Keep in mind that it will thicken a bit more upon standing.

I would like to send this to FIC - Yellow event hosted by Sunshinemom.