Comfort Foods: Tomato Pakoda Kadhi

This recipe was an inspiration from my lovely friend 'Surili' . She had made a 'Tamatar Soya-vadi di Kadhi' for a JFI event last year and as soon as I had seen the recipe, I had it bookmarked to try.

I was in the mood for something hot and just plain good. This is what came to mind, and I made the kadhi in no time. It was 'one of those days' when I needed to get supper on the table for the kiddos and me after a long day. Since Kartik wasn't going to be home for supper that day, this was the quickest thing I could think of.

I left out the Soya vadis and the bell peppers (my kids aren't too fond of them) and added onion pakodas instead. These were the only change I made to this fabulous recipe.

Here is the original recipe verbatim. Do try this out for a nice change to the regular kadhi in your home. I served this with some fresh basmati rice for the kids. You can serve it with some pulao, or just plain chapatis. I had this, as is, its that filling.

"Tamatar Soya Wadi di Kadhi" - From Surili's Kitchen.

• 1 and 1/2 cup buttermilk or beaten curd (sour preferred)
• 2 and 1/2 tbsp. besan
• 1/4 onion (chopped chunky)
• 2 big, ripe TOMATOES (chopped chunky)
  
• 10-15 soya chunks (soaked in warm water to soften)
  
• Ginger (chopped, to taste)
• 1/2 bell pepper (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp. each of jeera and dhaniya (cumin and coriander) seeds
• 1/4 tsp. each of methi-dana (Fenugreek seeds) and kalonji (Nigella seeds)
• 1 tbsp. oil
• Turmeric and chilli powder
  
• 1/4 tsp. Garam masala
  
• Kasuri Methi (dried methi leaves) and Cilantro (both for garnishing)

Heat oil and splutter jeera, dhaniya, methi-dana and kalonji (in that order). Add onions and saute, followed by ginger and bell-peppers. (While its being saute'd-we must also keep ready the besan-curd mix. For that, beat the curd smooth and slowly add besan, preventing any clumps. We can use buttermilk instead). Now add 1/2 of the chopped tomatoes, stir and cook. Add turmeric and chilli powder (add only 1/4 tsp.turmeric-the color gets darker as we cook). Stir to make the base and add rest of the tomatoes. Reduce the flame and slowly add the curd-besan mix while stirring to prevent curdling. Squeeze out excess water from soaked soya-wadis and add to the kadhi. Add more water and bring to boil. Cook on low heat to allow the kadhi to thicken a bit. Add the kasuri methi and garam masala, cover the pot and let sit for 5 mins. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice." - Musical

For the Pakodas ( my addition):

1/2 cup: Besan (chickpea) flour
1 small onion- chopped finely
1 small chili pepper or jalapeno - chopped finely
Cilantro leaves- chopped finely ( to your taste)
1.4 tsp: turmeric powder
1 tsp: red chili powder
1 tsp: Salt or to taste
a pinch each: ajwain seeds and cumin seeds ( crushed slightly)
1 pinch of: eno or other fruit salt
water- to bind, as needed

Mix all the ingredients together and let it rest for 10 minutes. Add a small amount of water and make a thick batter, making sure it isn't too lumpy. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry small batches of pakodas till they are golden brown. Drain well on some paper towels and add to the kadhi while it simmers. Enjoy.

Wishing you all the best for the Festive season! Enjoy the celebrations and of course, the good food!