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Wednesday, 23 April 2014

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Indian Traditional Food Biography

Source(google.com.pk)

Kadhi, a blend of yogurt and besan (gram flour) with besan pakoras, is served with plain white rice. This dish is popular throughout India.

Serves 2-3.

Kadhi PakorasIngredients

Kadhi

1 cup yogurt

2/3 cup gram flour (besan)

6 cups water

2 tablespoons ghee (clear butter)

Pinch of asafetida (hing)

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (mathi)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric

4 whole red chilies

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch of citric acid if needed to give more sourness to Kadhi

Pakoras

3/4 cup besan (Gram flour)

About 2/3 cup water

Garnish

1 teaspoon of ghee or clear butter

1/4 teaspoon of red chili powder or paprika

Method

Kadhi

Mix gram flour and turmeric with yogurt until smooth. Add three cups of water slowly and mix well.

Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by

adding one cumin seed to the oil. If the cumin seeds crack right away, the oil is ready. Add the asafetida, fenugreek seeds, and cumin

seeds.

When the cumin seeds crack, add the bay leaves, whole red chilies, and red chili powder. Stir for a few seconds. Add the yogurt mixture and keep stirring until the kadhi comes to a boil.

Add three cups of water and let it come to boil. Add salt. Turn the heat to medium low. Let the kadhi cook an hour and a half, stir

occasionally. To adjust thickness, add boiled water.

Pakoras

Mix besan with 2/3 cup of water until batter is smooth and thick. Whip the besan batter two to three minutes in a circular motion using a spoon, until light and fluffy.

Fry the pakoras in ½ inch of oil in a flat frying pan over medium heat. (Don’t use enough oil to cover the pakoras; they will be softer and fluffier if fried in shallow oil.

To test, drop one drop of batter into the oil. The batter should form a ball on the surface of the pan, but not change color right away.

Place about one tablespoon of batter into the oil. Fry the pakoras in small batches until golden-brown.

After frying, soak the pakoras in room-temperature water for ten minutes.

Squeeze the pakoras gently to remove the water, taking care not to break them.

Add the pakoras to the kadhi and boil on low to medium heat for ten minutes.

Seasoning

Heat the ghee (clarified butter) lightly in a small

saucepan. Add chili powder and/or paprika (adjust to taste). Pour over the kadhi when ready to serve.

Kala Chana is very high in protein and provides a nutritional meal. It has a low glycemic index and is a good protein option for people with Diabetes. Kala Chana is a variation of the commonly found chickpea but it is dark brown in color and smaller in size. It is also known as Bengal gram.

This recipe will serve 6

Ingredients:

1 cup kala chana

3 tablespoons oil

1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

2 tablespoons gram flour (besan)

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 green chili finely chopped

2 tablespoons coriander powder (dhania)

½ tablespoon turmeric (haldi)

½ teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste

2 teaspoons salt adjust to taste

Approximately 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro (hara dhania) to garnish

Method

Wash and soak kala chana in approx. 4 cups of water, for at least 6 hours. The kala chana will double in volume after soaking.

In a small bowl mix ginger, green chili, coriander powder, turmeric, and chili powder with ¼ cup of water. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium high heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed and if it cracks immediately, the oil is ready for cooking.

Add cumin seeds and as they crack, add asafetida and gram flour. Stir for few seconds. Add the mixed spices (step 2) and stir for another minute.

Add soaked kala chana, and 4 cups of water to the pressure cooker. Close the cooker. As it starts steaming, turn down the heat to medium and cook for approx. 12 minutes. If your pressure cooker whistles then wait for 4-5 whistles.

Turn off the heat and wait until all the steam has released before opening the pressure cooker.

Add salt and slightly press down on the Kala Chana to thicken the gravy, let it cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat. You can always adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding more water. Simmer for a few minutes after adding the water.

Stir in lemon juice and cilantro, just before serving. This goes very well with plain rice and makes for a complete meal.