Kadhi: Yogurt Curry with Chickpea Fritters

Ingredients

• For the kadhi
• 500 g plain yogurt, full-fat, at room temperature
• 125 g chickpea flour (besan), sifted
• 500 ml water, to thin the yogurt mixture
• For the pakoras
• 150 g chickpea flour (besan)
• 1 tsp salt
• as needed water, to form a thick batter
• as needed neutral oil, for deep-frying
• For the tarka
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dried red chillies, whole
• 10 fresh curry leaves

Method

1. 1
   Combine the yogurt and 125 g besan in a large bowl and beat vigorously with a whisk until completely smooth, then add the water and whisk again until fully incorporated — working out every lump now means the mixture will not split or turn grainy once heat is applied. The mixture must be entirely lump-free at this stage; pass it through a sieve if necessary. A smooth, pourable consistency — resembling thin cream — confirms the mixture is ready.
2. 2
   Pour the yogurt-besan mixture into a heavy-based pan set over a medium-low flame and bring it slowly to a simmer, stirring frequently so the base does not catch and scorch before the mixture has a chance to stabilise. Once the first bubbles appear, reduce the heat to maintain a steady, gentle simmer and hold it there for a minimum of 20 minutes, stirring regularly throughout, so the raw, flat, starchy smell of the besan cooks out entirely and the kadhi turns round and gently tangy — this is where the dish lives or dies, because under-simmered kadhi carries that floury note all the way to the table and no amount of seasoning will mask it. The raw besan note must have entirely vanished from the aroma before the kadhi is considered done.
3. 3
   While the kadhi simmers, prepare the pakoras by mixing 150 g besan and salt with enough water to form a thick batter that falls from the spoon in slow ribbons — a batter this thick gives the fritters enough body to hold together in the hot oil without spreading flat. Heat the oil for deep-frying, drop small spoonfuls of batter into it, and fry until golden and set on the exterior. The pakoras should be firm to a gentle press and a deep golden-yellow in colour.
4. 4
   Transfer the fried pakoras directly into the simmering kadhi and allow them to cook together for a further few minutes so the pakoras absorb the curry and their exterior softens into something yielding rather than crunchy, which is the texture the dish is after. The kadhi should remain pourable throughout; if it has thickened beyond this, add a little hot water and stir through.
5. 5
   Prepare the tarka immediately before serving by heating the ghee in a small pan over a high flame until shimmering, then adding the mustard seeds — letting them pop and sputter in the hot ghee before you add anything else draws out their sharp, nutty fragrance, which a cooler fat would leave flat and muted. Add the cumin seeds, dried chillies, and curry leaves; the curry leaves will crackle and release their aroma within seconds. Pour the entire contents of the pan over the finished kadhi and serve at once.