Palak ki Kadhi

As I have said before, I believe in experimenting with cooking and do not follow strict measurements. But, I do follow one rule – that cooking needs a lot of patience and you get the best results when done on slow fire. This not only saves the stuff from burning and therefore preserving the nutritive value, but also helps to bring out the aroma in the spices.

Today’s recipe is Palak ki Kadhi. Kadhi is a popular dish of North India and has a pride of place in the delicacies served during the Holi festival along with hot raw-Jackfruit curry (katahal ki sabzi).

To make Kadhi-Palak, you will need the following ingredients:

Besan – 1 cup
Palak (spinach) – Washed, dried, and quartered
Fresh curd – Whipped with little milk into a smooth texture
Oil – I prefer mustard oil for preparing Kadhi, especially for deep frying
Garlic – Made into a paste or thinly sliced
Haldi
Chilly powder - Optional
Hing – 1 pinch
Jeera
Salt

Method of Preparation:

Take the besan in a bowl. Pour water carefully to make a thick batter. Add salt, chilly powder, and hing. Whip till the batter becomes light.

Now squeeze out water from the palak and add to the besan batter. If the batter becomes thin after adding palak then add some besan.

Heat mustard oil in a kadhai till piping hot. Keep a plate of dry besan ready. Take a lump from the besan-palak batter and shape into a small ball. Roll the besan-palak ball in dry besan to bind it securely.

Now, boil water with crushed jeera and salt in a pan on one burner and on the other, heat oil to fry the besan-palak balls. This is the Kadhi pakora. As the pakoras get fried, drop them into the boiling water. Keep in boiling water till the pakoras become soft and spongy. This should happen within 10-15 minutes, in some cases earlier. When all the pakoras are fried, add water to the bowl in which you prepared the batter and keep aside.

Lower the heat and in the same oil, fry the garlic paste. When aroma comes out, add one tspoon haldi powder and red chilly powder. Fry a little.

Now, add the besan water from the batter-bowl. Add salt as per taste. When boiling point is reached, add the pakoras gently. Let it simmer for five minutes. Now, add the whipped curd, simmer for two minutes and lower from heat. Serve with boiled rice.

Kadhi should not be too watery or too thick. You can adjust the consistency by adding water diluted with besan. Happy cooking! Do let me know the results. Remember that practice leads to perfection.

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Khichuri with Begun fritters and Tomato Chatni

Khichuri is a popular dish of West बंगाल. The main ingredients are rice and pulses. Khichuri preparations can range from the most exotic to the most simple. The exotic variations are served during Durga Pujo and Saraswati Pujo as “bhog” (food blessed by the Gods) while the simplest preparations is made for the sick – as the ingredients are good for digestion. I present here the variation that is in-between these two – the one that is enjoyed by most Bengalis during a rainy day! As common lore goes, Khichuri is associated with a rainy day – you can enjoy it best in a “wet” atmosphere with the pitter-patter of the rain!! This is not to say that you cannot enjoy Khichuri otherwise. For more information about the Khichuri you can click here.

Khichuri goes with Chatni (a sweet preparation made of tomato) and Begun fritters/Beguni (brinjal fry).

INGREDIENTS and PREPPING for Khichuri
Rice - 1 cup
Moong dal – 1/2 cup – washed and soaked
Masoor dal – 1/2 cup – washed and soaked
Potato – Medium sized pieces (fry a little)
Cauliflower – Medium sized pieces (fry until soft)
Carrots – Big pieces (fry a little)
Green peas
Spices – Tejpatta, Cloves (2), Black Cardamom, Dalcheeni, Garam Masala powder, Green Chilies (2 and slit), Jeera, Haldi, Salt, and Sugar
Ghee – 1 tbspoon

METHOD OF PREPARATION for Khichuri
You have already fried the vegetables and kept aside. Lower heat and in the same oil add tejpatta, cardamom, cloves, a small piece of dalcheeni, and jeera. When you get the aroma, add the soaked moong dal. Fry a little and then add the soaked masoor dal and rice. Mix well. Now, add 4 cups of water, the fried vegetables (except cauliflower), green peas, haldi, garam masala powder, salt, and a little sugar. Pressure cook allowing one whistle. Open pressure cooker after 15 minutes. Now, add the fried cauliflower, slit green chilies, and ghee. Turn a little. Your Khichuri is ready!

Let me now run you through the accompaniments that make the Khichuri an experience to relish!kpip

Begun fritters or Beguni - preparation

Slice the brinjal thinly. Keep aside. Make a thick batter with besan and maida (equal proportion). Add salt according to taste. You can also add posto dana (poppy seeds) or white til, especially if cooking for special occasion. Dip the brinjal pieces in the batter and fry. I would advice to begin frying just before you are ready to serve because brinjal fritters kept for long becomes soggy.

Tomato Chatni - preparation

Cut tomato in small pieces and add ginger, garlic, a pinch of salt, and sugar as per your taste. Mash a little. Keep on slow fire. Keep mashing from time to time till tomato is pulpy. Now, heat one tbspoon of ghee with whole mustard and a slit green chilly, seperately. This is the tadka. Pour tomato over the tadka. Squeeze the juice of one lemon and your tomato Chatni is ready.

Enjoy a special meal and do let me know the result.

n Tit Bits
I take the opportunity to dispel a common perception about Bengali cooking with regard to sugar. Sugar is sprinkled in most Bengali cooking not because Bengalis have a “sweet tooth”. The reason is far more salty! Sugar balances or edges out the salt in the dish giving the preparation a sophisticated taste.

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