Dahi Kadhi has made its comeback. Thanks to newer faces like Priya Krishna, it feels like people everywhere are starting to see that making Indian food at home can be simple, and it can be incredibly rewarding. This is exactly one of those dishes; I wouldn't go out of my way to call it easy - because it isn't. But it's fun, and I find myself smiling through every bite.
The first steps are really simple - you take chickpea (besan) flour, and mix it throughly with yogurt and then add this to the stovetop on medium-low heat. You add a little turmeric (not too much) and watch as the color deepens, gradually adding in water.
To make the pakoras (fried dumplings), you take some more chickpea flour and gradually add some water in. Add a little salt and a little ginger. You can use a spoon to mix this or your hand and wait until you have a thick, but liquid dough. At this point, you add a little baking powder to keep the dumplings fluffy.
You fry the pakoras in vegetable oil just like above - and you can save the oil (strain it to remove the crumbs) for later use. Yes, they are deep fried. But they are worth it, and just a few pakoras in this kadhi go a very, very long way. Once they are cooked through and the kadhi is done, you put the pakoras in the kadhi - what happens from there is magical. The pakoras absorb the sauce of the kadhi and expand even further, making each bite a burst of unforgettable flavors!