Punjabi Kadhi

I have a very love hate relationship with kadhi. I had Kadhi for the first time in 2010 when I moved to Mumbai. Once in a week it came in our “dabaas” for dinner. Till then I had no idea that something like that can exist. Gram flour cooked in buttermilk seemed like an impossible combination. To top it all the frenzy over it seemed too overrated. I do not know about others but the Bengalis will sure understand what I am trying to say. It was until I had Kadhi first time made by my mother in law that the perception totally changed. I realised I had been having the wrong kind of Kadhi, hence never bothered to try to know the recipe. And now here I am! Cooking Kadhi - all by myself and totally approved by the North Indian in the house. 

Ingredients:

• 500 ml unflavoured buttermilk
• 2 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
• 1 cup water
• 1 potato cut into small pieces
• 1 onion sliced
• 3-4 cloves
• 1-2 cardamom
• 1 tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• 1 tsp fenugreek seed
• 1 tsp uncooked rice
• 1 chopped chilli
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Tempering

Method:

• In a jar add 2 tablespoon of Besan with the buttermilk and mix very well. Use a whisk or the old school stick blender called the "Daaler Kata" in Bengali or the wooden stick used to blend lentil. The point is, the Besan should be mixed so well that there should not be any lump left. This might need a lot of elbow grease but trust me this step is worth every bit of it.
• in a deep pan heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and add cloves, cardamom, cumin, mustard seed, fenugreek seed and rice. 
• When the spices starts to crackle add the chopped green chilli along with the sliced onions.
• Saute the onions fro 2-3 minutes and add the potatoes. Saute for the vegetables until the potato is almost half done.
• Then add the buttermilk - Besan mixture, add salt to taste and add the turmeric powder.

• Now starts the test of patience! At this point keep the flame in high and keep stirring. Bring the Kadhi up to boil and then lower the flame. Your job is not done yet, for you have to still keep stirring. You can't let this keep unattended in low flame as the Besan might curdle up. Keep stirring and keep scrapping down the sides. 
• This will take up to half an hour or more. What we are looking for is a thick flowing consistency. If it becomes too thick at any point then add some water and again bring the Kadhi to boil. If it becomes too thin then add some Besan in a water and mix well to remove all the lumps then add it to the Kadhi.
• After half an hour check the potato to be fully cooked and the raw taste of the Besan should be gone. 
• Your Kadhi is almost ready. Switch off the flame and drizzle a spoon full of ghee and cover. After all, what is Punjabi food without a dollop of ghee

Kadhi Chawal