Kadhi — a sour, slightly thick curry made from yogurt and chickpea flour (besan), finished with a mustard-cumin tarka — demonstrates one of Indian cooking's most technically specific preparations: stabilising yogurt against curdling through the binding action of chickpea flour. The flour's protein and starch form a network in the yogurt that prevents the dairy proteins from aggregating and separating when heated. The result is a pourable, slightly thick, sour curry that holds together through extended cooking.
- **The ratio:** Yogurt to besan — approximately 4:1 by volume. More besan produces a thicker, heavier kadhi; less produces a thinner, more sour preparation. [VERIFY] Bharadwaj's specific ratio. - **The initial mixing:** Yogurt and besan beaten smooth (no lumps) with water before any heat is applied. Lumps of besan in the finished kadhi indicate insufficient initial mixing. - **Low and slow:** The kadhi is brought to a simmer and held there for 20–25 minutes minimum — the extended cooking removes the raw besan flavour and allows the chickpea flour's starch to fully gelatinise, producing the characteristic thick-but-pourable consistency. - **The tarka finish:** Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried chilli, and curry leaves in ghee — poured over the finished kadhi at service. - **Pakoras in kadhi:** Chickpea flour fritters (pakoras) added to the simmering kadhi — they absorb the kadhi while their exterior becomes slightly soft. This combination (kadhi pakora) is the most celebrated version. Decisive moment: The simmer time — specifically 20 minutes minimum at a steady simmer. Under-simmered kadhi tastes of raw chickpea flour — a flat, slightly starchy flavour that no seasoning corrects. The full 20 minutes transforms this to a round, slightly tangy, warming preparation.
Indian Cookery Course