Comforting kadhi

Kadhi or curried buttermilk is a popular side dish from India that can also be enjoyed as a soup.  It is consumed by villagers and urbanites.  Kadhi is great served over rice or khichdi (or khichadi) - a delicious and healthy porridge made from rice, lentils and vegetables.  In this photo, red cabbage was incorporated.

There are delicious variations of this popular dish in various states of India.  A popular style of making kadhi is from the state of Gujarat.  Guajarathi kadhi is normally sweeter and thinner than other styles.  Following is a recipe from All Recipes for this version:

Original Recipe Yield 4 servings


 Ingredients

    4 cups water
    2 cups plain yogurt
    2 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan)
    4 green chile peppers, halved lengthwise
    1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
    1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste
    1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
    salt to taste
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    1 tablespoon ghee
    2 dried red chile peppers, broken into pieces
    1 sprig fresh curry leaves
    1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
    1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
    1 pinch asafoetida powder
    1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves


Directions

    Mix the water, yogurt, and chickpea flour together in a large saucepan until smooth; add the green chile peppers, ginger, sugar, turmeric, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and then immediately reduce heat to low; cook on low 5 to 10 minutes.
    Heat the oil and ghee together in a small skillet over medium heat; fry the dried red chile peppers, curry leaves, cumin seeds, mustard seed, and asafoetida powder in the the mixture until the seeds splutter. Stir the mixture into the saucepan with the cilantro. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 185 | Total Fat: 9.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a delicious and simple comfort food that most enjoy any time of the year but is particularly welcome in the winter.  It is a great dish to experiment with.  The basic concept for a complete dish is a mixture of vegetables and a protein such as lentils on the bottom and mashed potatoes on top.  This is then baked until the top is the level of golden you like.  I baked it at 350 for about half an hour.  I topped it with some olive oil for a slightly crispy crust and a dash of paprika for flavor and a nice color. 

Experiement with the spices you like to saute the lentils and vegetables with.  You could try Italian seasonings or others such as cumin and paprika.  You can make the dish as spicy as you want by simply sauteeing the vegetables with green chili or add some hot sauce to the mixture or to the mashed potatatoes. 

You can easily make the dish ahead of time and freeze.  You can bake it when you want.  I made the dish vegan by using rice milk in the mashed potatoes.  Alternatively, you could use soy or another milk.

Welcome to Pria's Passion!

A passion of mine is vegetarian cooking.  I have been cooking for over 25 years and feel there is always something to learn and improve on in cooking.  I have always viewed cooking more as an art form rather than science, so feel there is a lot of room for exploration, creativity and expression in cooking.