Kadhi Pakora

Kadhi Pakora is a classic dish from North India and very popular. This is a spiced up yogurt based curry cooked with crisp and fresh besan pakora. This is my Mother-in-law's recipe which I am sharing. Kadhi Pakora tastes well with rice and makes a great lunch. So lets start with "Flavors of Sneha's Kitchen".



Ingredients:

For Kadhi:
1 cup of yogurt

Kadhi Pakora

3/4 cup of gram flour (besan)
6 cups of water
2 tbsp of clarified butter (ghee)
Pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of chilli powder
1 tsp of garlic paste
4 dried red chilli
1 stem of curry leaves
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro for garnishing

For Pakoras:
3/4 cup of gram flour (besan)
2/3 cup of water
1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/3 tsp of red chilli powder
1/2 tsp of garlic paste
salt to taste
Oil for deep frying



Method:

• To make the pakoras add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk them together to make a lump free smooth batter. Whip the batter until light and fluffy.
• Now heat the oil in a pan and drop about 1 tbsp of batter in round shape. Fry on high heat until both sides get golden brown. Take out and keep it aside.
• To make the Kadhi, mix gram flour, turmeric powder, salt and yogurt in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. 
• Add three cups of water slowly and mix well.
• Add the garlic paste and red chilli powder together and make a paste.
• Heat ghee in a pan and crackle the cumin seeds, dried red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves. Now add the garlic paste and fry for one minute.
• Add the yogurt mixture and keep stirring until it comes to a boil.
• Add 3 cups of water and let it come to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low and let the kadhi cook for 5-6 mnts. Stir occasionally.
• Add the pakoras and mix well. 
• Add chopped cilantro and simmer for a minute.
• Serve hot with freshly made onion pakora and rice.

Note: You may also add eggplant pakora which tastes very well with kadhi. Consistency of kadhi shouldn't be very thin on thick.

Pakistani Style Fish Curry

Fish Curry is traditionally a simple dish where the fish is the star and this version of fish curry is so delectable that will leave you licking your fingers. An aromatic dish that can be made in less then half hour. You may use any fish of your choice but this recipe goes very well with Salmon or Tilapia. I learned this recipe from one of my pakistani friend and my husband and I have had it a number of times now. Fish curry tastes well with rice, however this can be eaten with roti, paratha or naan as well. So, lets learn the simple Pakistani Style Fish Curry recipe with "Flavors of Sneha's Kitchen".



Ingredients:
500 gms of fish cut into medium pieces

Fish Curry

3 tbsp of thick yogurt
1/2 tomato chopped
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp of coriander powder
1 large onion chopped
8-9 cloves of crushed garlic
few fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
1 stem of curry leaves
2 tbsp of oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp of lemon
Water as required
Cilantro for garnishing



Method:

• Marinate the washed fish in 1 tsp of lemon, 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp of coriander powder and 1/2 tsp of salt. Coat the pieces in spice mix and keep it aside for 15 mnts.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add the fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. Let it crackle. Add the curry leaves and let the oil infuse.
• Add the chopped onion and cook until the edges of the onion gets brown a bit.
• Now add the crushed garlic and cook until the garlic is slightly brown.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until it gets tender.
• Take it out and let it cool. Put the masala and yogurt in a blender and make a fine paste.
• Now heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the marinated fish on medium-high heat until both sides get brown a bit. Take it out on an absorbent paper.
• In the same pan add the prepared paste and rest of the spices (coriander powder, turmeric powder and red chilli powder). Mix well and add salt. Cook for 2 mints on medium flame. You may add little water to get the desired consistency but make sure to keep the gravy little thick.
• Now add the fried fish pieces and stir continuously Handle the curry with care as the fish is very delicate, it may break into pieces. 
• Add chopped cilantro and let it simmer for 1 minute.
• Serve hot.

Note: To make this curry even tastier, you may add quarter cup of coconut milk at the end. And cook for 2 more minutes. This totally depends on your taste bud.

Chole-Bhature

Chole-Bhature is one of the tasty, mouth-watering, spicy and a very popular Punjabi dish. This dish is very filling and has all the essentials of a great brunch. However, this can be eaten as an evening snack, lunch or dinner as well. This is my husband's favorite weekend brunch. Chole and Bhature are made for each other. The crispy puffed Bhatura makes an excellent combo with hot and spicy Chole. So without wasting any time, lets learn the quick recipe of this tasty dish with "Flavors of Sneha's Kitchen".



Ingredients:

For Chole:
1 cup chana/white chickpeas (soaked in water overnight)
4 tbsp of oil

Chole-Bhature

1 tsp of cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
2 whole dried red chilli
Pinch of asafoetida
2 onions finely chopped
1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of coriander powder
1 1/2 tbsp of chole masala powder
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder
1 tsp of garam masala powder
1 medium tomato finely chopped
1 green chilli
Salt as per taste
2 cups of water or as required

For Bhature:
2 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (maida)
1 cup of yogurt
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of baking soda
2 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
Oil for deep frying
Water as required



Method:

• To make chole, heat oil in a pressure cooker. Once hot enough, add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, dried red chill and asafoetida. Saute till it crackles.
• Now add the chopped onion and fry until it gets golden brown.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. In between add the broken green chilli also.
• Now add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt. Cook it for another minute.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook till tomatoes get soft.
• Add the chole masala powder and garam masala powder. Cover and cook until the oil starts appearing from the corners.
• Now add the soaked chole and water. Mix well and pressure cook for 6-7 whistles or till the chana is cooked tender.
• Serve hot and garnish with slices of onion and lemon wedge.
• To make bhature, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt and yogurt in a big bowl and give it a good mix.
• Now add little water at a time and make a dough. The dough should not be too hard or too soft on touch.
• Now rub little oil on the dough all over and cover with a wet cloth. Let it rest for half and hour.
• Make medium sized ball and keep it aside for 10 mints. Make sure the balls have no holes otherwise the bhature will not puffed up very well.
• Now roll these balls into round shaped rotis. It should not be too thick or too thin.
• Heat oil in a thick vessel and then put it on medium flame. Slide the bhature slowly and keep pressing the centre and edges and it will puff slowly. Now flip over and fry until it gets golden brown. Take it out on an absorbent paper. 
• Serve hot with the spicy and tasty chole and enjoy.

Note: Adding the green chilli gives a very good taste to chole but ofcourse makes it spicy too. So instead of using the regular red chilli powder you may use the kashmiri red chilli powder which makes this dish medium spicy and gives a great color too. And here, one of my secret tip; if you have MDH chicken curry powder use this instead of using chole masala powder and I'm sure you will never go wrong with this dish.