Shikarpuri Sindhi Kadhi

My late sister’s finger licking modified recipe for sindhi karri minus the extra fat , traditionally made for Sunday lunch and also served as a part of ” KADHI CHAWAL” ceremony during a Sindhi wedding. My non Sindhi friends love it as a lentil vegetable soup and we like to have a bowl full of Kadhi even before we sit down to start our meal .

Prep. Time:  20- 25 minutes

Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes (The taste of the Kadhi will justify the time spent preparing it)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Toover daal washed and and soaked for 2-3 hours
• 1 1/2 tbsp. Besan ( chick pea flour )
• 5 medium sized plum or greenhouse tomatoes or 4 hot house tomatoes finely chopped
• 3 – 4 peeled drumsticks washed, peeled and cut into 2- 3 inch pieces (or use frozen)
• 250 gms. guar ki phalli washed and ends cut  ( or use frozen to save time )
• 10 – 12 okra washed and ends cut off and slit legthwise
• 2 – 3 tbp. ghee or any good oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. jeera
• 1 – 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• 3 – 4 green chillies slit lengthwise
• pinch of asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder ( adjust according to taste and the heat of the chilli powder)
• 1′ ball of tamarind soaked in warm water
• 1′ piece of ginger grated
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
• 4 -5 cups of water

Method

1. Cook the daal in 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker on medium heat. Turn off the stove after 3 whistles.Open the cooker once it is cool .
2. Blend the cool daal with a hand blender or a whisk till smooth and then strain it through a fine strainer.
3. In the same pressure cooker boil the drumsticks and guar beans in 11/2 cups of water
4. Roast the okra in a toaster oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees with a little oil on a baking sheet for 10 – 15 minutes (traditionally they are deep fried)
5. Rub the tamarind ball in your hand and extract the sour juice thoroughly.
6. Heat the ghee in a heavy steel pot on medium heat , add the mustard seeds, let them pop before you add jeera. Add the besan and fry till it turns golden colour, making sure it does not get burnt.
7. Now add the green chillies, grated ginger, chilli powder, sauté for a minute and then add the finely chopped tomatoes.
8. Let the tomatoes cook till they are soft and blend completely with the besan .Add 1/2 cup of water if it sticks to the bottom.
9. Add the boiled vegetables (with the water they were cooked in) and tamarind water and salt.
10. Now add the strained smooth daal and the remaining water.
11. Let it all come to a boil for 15-20 minutes on medium heat, then cover the pot and let it simmer on very low temperature for another 15 minutes. The intoxicating, appetizing aroma of the simmering Karri will overwhelm your senses at this point.
12. Add the chopped cilantro and serve with Basmati rice and fresh hot chapatis.

ENJOY !!!

P.S. I served the Kadhi with plain steamed basmati rice and baked spicy okra and potato vegetable and quinoa chapatis which turned out great (recipe coming soon!!!)