Recipes For Healthy Life - By Nisha Gupta

 कढ़ी चावल Punjabi Kadhi Chawal combines a slowly simmered yogurt and besan curry with golden onion pakoras and fluffy basmati rice. Finished with an aromatic red chilli and cumin tadka, it is a familiar North Indian meal made for relaxed family lunches. Prepare it using Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan and Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice. Recipe Information Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 50 minutes Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes Servings: 4 Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi Course: Main course Diet: Vegetarian Dinesh Flour Mills Products Used 1½ cups Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan, divided between kadhi and pakoras 1½ cups Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice Ingredients for the Kadhi 2 cups slightly sour curd, approximately 500 g ½ cup Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan 5 cups water ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 1 tsp coriander powder Salt to taste 2 tbsp ghee or cooking oil 1 tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp fenugreek seeds One pinch asafoetida 1 tsp grated ginger 1 green chilli, slit 6 to 8 curry leaves, optional Ingredients for the Besan Pakoras 1 cup Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 green chilli, finely chopped 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped ½ tsp carom seeds ½ tsp red chilli powder ½ tsp coriander powder Salt to taste One small pinch baking soda, optional Approximately ½ cup water Oil for frying Ingredients for the Final Tadka 1 tbsp ghee ½ tsp cumin seeds 2 dried red chillies ¼ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder Ingredients for Basmati Rice 1½ cups Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice 2¼ cups water ½ tsp salt, optional 1 tsp ghee, optional How to Prepare the Kadhi Mixture Place the curd in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the Barik Besan, turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Whisk until the besan is completely combined and no dry lumps remain. Gradually add five cups of water while whisking. Keep the mixture aside. How to Make the Besan Pakoras Combine the Barik Besan, sliced onion, green chilli, coriander, carom seeds, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Add water gradually and prepare a thick batter that lightly coats the onion slices. Rest the batter for 10 minutes. Add a small pinch of baking soda just before frying, if using. Heat oil over medium heat. Drop small portions of batter carefully into the oil. Fry the pakoras in batches until evenly golden. Avoid making them too large because smaller pakoras absorb the kadhi more evenly. Remove and place them on absorbent paper. Keep aside. How to Cook Punjabi Kadhi Heat two tablespoons of ghee or oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they begin to crackle, add asafoetida, ginger, green chilli and optional curry leaves. Reduce the heat and slowly pour in the prepared yogurt-besan mixture while stirring continuously. Increase to medium heat and continue stirring until the kadhi reaches its first gentle boil. This helps prevent the curd from separating and the besan from settling at the bottom. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes. Stir every few minutes, especially along the bottom of the pan. The kadhi is ready when the raw aroma of besan has disappeared and the consistency is smooth and lightly thick. Add the fried pakoras and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes. Add a little hot water if the kadhi becomes too thick. Prepare the Final Tadka Heat one tablespoon of ghee in a small tadka pan. Add cumin seeds and dried red chillies. Switch off the heat and add Kashmiri red chilli powder. Immediately pour the hot tadka over the prepared kadhi. How to Make Fluffy Basmati Rice Rinse the basmati rice gently until the water is mostly clear. Soak it for 20 minutes and drain completely. Add the rice, 2¼ cups water, optional salt and ghee to a heavy saucepan. Bring it to a gentle boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Switch off the heat and leave the rice covered for another 10 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a fork. Serving Suggestion Serve Punjabi Kadhi Pakora hot with fluffy basmati rice. Add onion rings, green chilli, mango pickle, lemon and roasted papad for a traditional North Indian lunch. Important Cooking Tips Use room-temperature, slightly sour curd for the characteristic kadhi flavour. Whisk the curd and besan thoroughly before adding water. Stir continuously until the kadhi reaches its first boil. Simmer the kadhi slowly so the besan cooks completely. Add pakoras during the final 10 minutes. Adding them too early can make them break apart. Make small pakoras because they soften more evenly in the kadhi. Kadhi becomes thicker as it rests, so keep it slightly loose while cooking. Storage and Reheating Refrigerate cooled kadhi and rice in separate airtight containers. While reheating, add a little water to the kadhi and stir over low heat until thoroughly hot. Prepare fresh rice when possible for the best texture. Purchase the Ingredients Order Dinesh Flour Mills Barik Besan for the kadhi and pakoras, and serve them with Dinesh Flour Mills Best Basmati Rice.