When the cold weather hits, you crave nothing more than soul food, food that gives you the feeling of warmth and familiarity. One of my favorite food is kadi chawal. Even though I am not a Punjabi or a Gujarathi there is something about this simple meal that makes you feel at home. With temperatures dropping in the 20s (Fahrenheit!) here I decided to make kadi for dinner. I had some plantains in the fridge and decided to incorporate these in the kadi. It would be safe to say this is my take on pakode wali kadi. Besides being healthy, plantains are a bland vegetable and absorb the added flavors very well. I have not deep fried the plantains for this recipe but you very well can. Enjoy this kadi over a warm bowl of rice!
What you will need:
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Lemon | 1/2 |
| Oil/ Ghee for frying the Plantains | 1/8 cup |
| Plantains | 2 |
| For the batter: | |
| Besan/ Gram Flour | 1 cup |
| Carom Seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Water | 3/4 cup or enough to make a thick batter |
| For the kadi: | |
| Butter milk | 2 cups |
| Besan/ Gram Flour | 1 1/2 tablespoon |
| Pepper Powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Water | 1 1/2 cup |
| Salt | 1/2 tablespoon |
| For the tadka: | |
| Asafetida | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Curry Leaves | 10 |
| Cumin Seeds | 1 1/2 teaspoon |
| Green Chilies | 2 |
| Oil/Ghee | 2 tablespoons |
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serving: 4
How to make it:
- Wash the plantains. Cut each plantain into 3 parts discarding either end.
- Add the plantains to a pot of water until they are submerged. Add lemon juice to the water to prevent the plantains from turning brown. Boil the plantains for 20 minutes on medium heat.
- Drain the water and peel the plantains. Cut each piece into two halves lengthwise. Dust with 1 tablespoon of besan.
- Make the batter in a vessel in which you can cook the kadi. To make the batter, take a cup of besan, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of ajwain/carom seeds in a vessel. Mix well to form a thick paste with around 3/4 cup of water. Add a little water at a time to get the consistency you desire.
- Heat oil in a pan. Dip the plantains in the batter, and shallow fry them until golden brown on both sides. You may deep fry the plantains as well.
- To make the kadi, in the same vessel that you made the batter, add another 1 1/2 tablespoon of besan, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and 1/3 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Add 2 cups of buttermilk and 1 1/2 cup water as well. Whisk everything well.
- Bring the kadi to a boil while stirring continuously. It will begin to thicken up.
- For the tadka, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a tadka pan. Add asafetida, cumin seeds, green chilies, and curry leaves. Once everything begins to splatter, pour it over the kadi.
- Take the kadi off the flame and add the fried plantains to it.
- Serve with a bowl of rice.