Potato kadhi (Rajasthani Sabji)

Potato kadhi (Rajasthani Sabji)


Rajasthani sabji, as the hostess of the TV show called it, is pretty much potato kadhi. I am quite limited on what raita I can have and prefer making raitas with cooked vegetable. That way, this kadhi recipe appealed to me and I had boiled potato in my fridge so it made it even easier. I normally keep one or two boiled potatoes in the fridge so I can make some quick dishes. This went well with the corn methi pulav I made but I think it will go well with any other more spicy rice too. I do not know if rajasthani sabji is the right name, but I thought it will be because the hostess is rajasthani. Here is how I made it…

1 large potato, boiled, cut
1 teaspoon onion seeds (kalonji)
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cinnamon piece
2 cloves
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon besan (chickpea flour)
Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilly powder
1 teapsoon dhaniya powder (coriander powder)
1 teaspoon jeera powder (cumin powder)
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Heat some oil in a kadai and add the cinnamon, cloves and mustard seeds. Once it crackles, add the cumin seeds and onion seeds and wait for cumin to brown

In the meantime mix the besan and yogurt without lumps

Add the yogurt mixture to the kadai and simmer

Add chilly powder and turmeric powder and cook on low flame

Once it just boils, add the cumin and coriander powder, salt and allow to boil

Add the potatoes and simmer a few more minutes so they absorb the flavours. Cook the whole dish on low flame for best results

Serve!

Gatta Kadhi

Gatta Kadhi

Every time my brother and SIL visit us, we try our best to visit places together and also take good packed lunch with us so we can just spread our blanket in a nice place and enjoy nature at its best. My brother said he fancies having kadhi and also described one that he used to have when he was working in North India. I figured he was describing something made with besan added to the kadhi. I first thought it was pakoda kadhi and thought I will make fried pakodas for him. On second thoughts I wondered if it was gatta that he was referring to. The first time I came across gatta was on a television program where the presenter was Rajasthani and she was explaining how it was a common thing there and that it was considered a good form of protein for vegetarians as it is made with chickpea flour. Gatta is nothing but gram flour/chickpea flour dumpling. Anyway, I then looked up a book by Tarla Dalal and ever so slightly adapted the recipe to make this wonderful kadhi that everyone liked. Don’t get overwhelmed by the list of ingredients, trust me it is very simple to make...

For the gattas:

¾ cup besan
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon yogurt
Turmeric powder
Pinch of ajwain (carom seeds) aka omam
1-2 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste

For the kadhi:

2 cups yogurt
2 tablespoon besan
Few curry leaves
1 teapsoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
Asafoetida
A small piece of ginger
1 bay leaf

1 stick cinnamon

2 cloves
Turmeric powder
2 teaspoon chilly powder
2 teaspoon coriander powder
Oil
Salt to taste

To make gatta:

Mix all ingredients and make a firm dough using little water

Roll into a cylinder and cut into about inch long piece, ensure each piece is bite size. Boil these in plenty of water for about 7-8 minutes. It is important that the water is boiling before putting the gattas in. If required you can cut them further now

To make Kadhi

Beat the besan and yogurt together and add some water to thin it and ensure there are no lumps.

Heat little oil and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ginger, bay leaf, asafoetida, cinnamon, cloves and once the seeds crackle add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder

Add this to the yogurt besan mixture and allow to just boil on low flame

Add the gatta and simmer for few minutes and add salt

Serve hot with rice!

You can enjoy this as a soup as well so the gattas fill you up while the yogurt cools you down.