PUNJABI PAKORA KARDHI

Thought of treating you guys with this golden glory, ‘Punjabi Pakora Kardhi’. Made it yesterday for my daughter, as it’s her favourite dish. I still can’t forget the day when she was just 5, she came back home from school and had 3 plates of Kardhi and chawal (rice) and was still asking for more! Her dire love for this dish has become a memorandum in the family, and I hope you can make similar memories with this dish for yourself!

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SERVES: 6

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOKING TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

For Kardhi:

• 1 ½ litre Laban/Buttermilk

• ¾ cup Besan (Gram Flour)

• 4 cups Water

• 2 tsp Salt

• 1 ½ tsp Turmeric

For Tempering:

• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds

• ½ tsp Methi (fenugreek) seeds

• 4-5 Whole Red Chillies

• 2 tsp Coriander Powder

• ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder

• 2 Green Chillies

• 1 large Onion, chopped

• 4 cloves Garlic

• 1” piece Ginger, chopped

• ½ tsp Garam Masala

• 1 tsp Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek)

• 1 tsp Green coriander, chopped (to garnish)

• ½ tsp Salt

• 3 tbsp Oil

For Pakoras:

• 1 medium Onion, chopped finely

• 1 small Potato, chopped finely

• 1 Green Chilli, chopped

• ¾ cup Besan (Gram Flour)

• 1 tsp Coriander seeds (hand crushed)

• ½ tsp Pomegranate seeds (anar dana)

• 1 tsp Ginger, finely chopped

• 1 tsp Salt

• ¼ tsp Red Chilli Powder

• ½ tsp Ajwain (Carom Seed)

• 1 tsp Coriander Powder

• ¼ tsp Garam Masala

• ½ cup (approx.) Laban

• ½ cup (approx.) Water

• 1 ½ cup Oil (for frying)

• 1 tbsp Chopped Coriander leaves

METHOD

To Make Kardhi:

1. In a large deep cooking pot, pour laban, add besan, 2 tsp salt and turmeric.

2. With a wire whisker, whisk them together and make lump free batter; add water and mix well.

3. Simmer on a low flame for 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently.

To Make Pakoras:

1. In a bowl sift besan, add onions, potatoes and all the other dry pakora ingredients, pour water and laban, mix well to make soft batter. Leave to rest for 15 mins.

2. Heat oil in a pan on medium high flame, pour the batter in small dollops (approx. 1 tbsp each).

3. Deep fry pakoras until golden brown on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper.

To Make Tempering:

1. Crush garlic, ginger and green chillies with ½ tsp salt in mortar and pestle and make paste.

2. Heat oil in a fry pan over medium-low heat, add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and whole red chillies, sauté for few seconds, add garlic, ginger and green chilli paste, stir for a few seconds, add onions, raise heat and fry them until golden brown.

3. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt, sauté for few seconds and add it to the simmering kardhi.

4. Add pakoras in the kardhi. Cook it further for another 5-7 minutes at low heat, taste and add salt if required.

5. Rub kasuri methi in your palms, add it to the kardhi and stir to mix.

6. Garnish with garam masala and coriander. Serve hot with steamed rice.

COOK'S NOTES:

• You can also use 2 cups of sour plain yogurt instead of laban or buttermilk. To get the right tartness in kardhi, use 2 days old yogurt.

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