Recipe Description

Gram flour dumplings cooked in a yogurt based gravy

Ingredients:-

• For pakoras
• Besan (gram flour) – ¾ cup
• Red onion, chopped (½ cup) – 1 no
• Chopped methi (fresh fenugreek leaves) – ½ cup
• Fresh ginger piece, grated (2 teaspoons) – 1 inch piece
• Ajwain (carom seeds) – 1 teaspoon
• Red chile powder – 1 teaspoon
• Baking powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Table salt – to taste
• Vegetable oil – 3 cups
• For kadhi
• Plain yogurt – 1 cup
• Besan (gram flour) – ¼ cup
• Ground turmeric – 1 teaspoon
• Table salt – 1½ teaspoons
• Water – 3 cups
• Vegetable oil – 2 tablespoons
• Methi dana (fenugreek seeds) – ½ teaspoon
• Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
• Black peppercorns – 6 no
• Dried red chiles, broken into 2-3 pieces each – 2 no
• Fresh ginger piece, chopped (1 teaspoon) – ½ inch
• Red chile powder – 1 teaspoon
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves – 2 tablespoons

 

Method:-

1. Place all the pakoda ingredients, except oil, into a medium sized bowl and mix. Add ¼ cup of water and mix into a soft dough.
2. Place a non stick medium sized wok on high heat and pour in 3 cups of oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, drop small portions of the gram flour mixture and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, till they are golden brown. These are the pakoras. Drain the pakoras on an absorbent paper so that excess oil is absorbed. Set aside.
3. For the kadhi, place the yogurt in a large bowl, add gram flour and whisk with a wire whisk till smooth with no lumps. Add turmeric, 1½ teaspoons salt and the water. Keep it aside.
4. Place a medium sized non-stick deep pan on medium heat and pour in 2 tablespoons oil. When small bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, add the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns and red chiles. Sauté for ½ When the seeds begin the splutter, add the ginger and sauté  for 1 minute.  Pour the yogurt mixture into the pan. Bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer the kadhi for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add red chile powder and the fried pakoras and continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the pakoras get completely immersed in the kadhi.
6. Take the pan off the stove top and transfer into a serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.