Recipe

Step 1:

Blend the kadhi base: In a blender, blend skyr, heavy cream, chickpea flour, and 1/4 cup water until smooth and homogeneous. You don’t want any lumps here. Add another 3/4 cup of water and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Step 2:

Cook the kadhi: In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed dutch oven or saucepan, heat oil on medium heat. Add cumin seeds; once seeds begin to sizzle and release an aroma, add the chilies. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until chilies are slightly softened. Take care not to burn the cumin seeds here, and reduce the heat if needed. Reduce the heat to low, and add the remaining 3 cups of water to the pan. Whisk in the kadhi base, stirring constantly for 1 minute until fully combined. Continue whisking constantly, and increase the heat to medium-low; cook for 3 to 4 minutes until mixture begins to steam. Still whisking, increase the heat to medium-high, then continue stirring and cooking the mixture until it comes to a boil. Whisk the mixture for 1 minute, then lower the heat to medium-low. At this point, you can stop stirring, and place a tall wooden spoon into the pot (this prevents the mixture from boiling over), and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture is slightly thick and coats the back of the wooden spoon. Season with salt.

Step 3:

Fry the pakoras: While the kadhi cooks, make the pakoras. In a medium bowl, mix onion, turmeric, garam masala, salt, and chickpea flour until well combined. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the onion to release any moisture. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot with 1-inch of oil to 350F (about medium heat). Add the skyr and cold water to the onion mixture and stir to coat. The mixture should be slightly sticky, and the onions should stick together when formed into a patty. If the mixture feels too dry, add a little bit of water. If the mixture feels too wet, add a little more chickpea flour to help bind it. When the oil is preheated, lightly pack about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the onion mixture to form a patty and carefully drop into the oil. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and cooked inside. Drain on paper towels or a cooling rack and sprinkle with flaky salt.

Step 4:

Finish the kadhi: Once the pakoras are cooked, add them into the kadhi to coat fully. Keep the kadhi warm while you prepare the tadka topping (instructions below).

Step 5:

Make the tadka topping: In a small pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add the dried red chili, and once it begins to sizzle, immediately remove from the heat and stir in the red chili powder. Drizzle the topping all over the kadhi.

Step 6:

Serve the hot kadhi with fresh cilantro and a side of rice or roti.