Sindhi Kadhi - A Delicious Stew

This is a recipe that my aunt gave me recently and asked me to try it out. It is called Sindhi Kadhi. It is a delicious stew or curry prepared with chickpea flour (besan) and vegetables. However, it does not conform to my traditional view of what “kadhi” should be. All the different versions of kadhi that I have made or eaten so far have always had yogurt and besan/chickpea flour as the main ingredients. The main difference in all these versions was the seasoning that I used, however the main ingredients always stayed the same i.e. yogurt and besan. I had never made or tasted Sindhi Kadhi prior to this attempt, and I am glad I finally did. It has definitely changed my perception of what kadhi can be. This particular version of the kadhi does make use of the besan flour, however it differs in the fact that, instead of using yogurt, tamarind water is used to give it a sour taste. Also, this recipe has a lot of vegetables. And while I made it with the vegetables that my aunt listed, I am sure you can change the combination of the vegetables based on what is available. The end result is a hearty, healthy and delicious stew. We enjoyed the preparation and I will definitely be making it again.

Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
1/8 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
pinch of asafoetida
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup okra/bhindi/ladies fingers ( diced)
3 tsps besan/chickpea flour
1 cup potatoes (1 large or 2 small potatoes), diced into big pieces
1 cup banana squash/red pumpkin/laal kaddu/ laal bhopla,
1 cup cluster beans /gavar /gowar, diced
1 drumstick, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
chilli powder to taste
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp tamarind paste or 1 inch ball of tamarind
salt to taste

Method
If using tamarind paste, dissolve it in about 2 cups of water and keep aside. If using regular tamarind,  soak it in warm water and then remove the pulp and dissolve it in 2 cups of water and keep aside.

Heat the oil. To this add the cumin seeds. Once they being to crackle, add the hing/asafoetida, and the okra pieces. Stir fry the okra till well cooked and a little browned. Then add the besan flour and cook the besan flour till you get the fragrant roasted smell for the besan. Then add the cluster beans, drumstick pieces, potato and pumpkin. Stir it and add the turmeric powder and chilli powder and cook it all for a minute.  Then add the tamarind water, stirring continuously while adding the water, so that no lumps formed. Add the curry leaves. Add more water if needed. All the vegetables should be covered with the water. Then cook till the curry till it starts to boil and thicken. Add the salt. Taste and add a little more of tamarind paste if you want a more sour taste. Check to see if the vegetables are cooked. The curry shouldn’t be too watery or too thick. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve hot with white rice.

Tips
Steam cook or pressure cook (1 whistle) the guvar/cluster beans and the drumsticks so that they are semi cooked and softened.  This will reduce the overall cooking time. Do not precook the potato and pumpkin, since they do not need a long cooking time and will get cooked through as the curry boils. If precooked, they will turn to mush. Fry the besan and the okra well. The okra needs to be crispy and the besan needs to be a brown color which will impart a brown color to the curry.
If you decide to change the vegetables, use hearty vegetables which will not become mushy when the kadhi is being boiled. You can also add in some tomatoes in this recipe. They should be added along with the potato and other vegetables. 

Okra Stir Fry - Bhindi Sabji

Okra is my favorite vegetable. When I was a kid, I could always have a second or even a third helping of  this vegetable. I have rarely met people who don't like okra. Now, those who have attempted to cook with it, will know that this can be a sticky vegetable, especially when it comes into contact with moisture. So, the key is to start with okra that has been wiped and is dry. You do not want to use okra that has just been washed and is dripping with water. By reducing the moisture,  you can reduce the amount of stickiness of the okra and also, let the okra cook through till it starts getting crisp. Once the moisture evaporates the okra will have the perfect texture and there will be no sticky or slimy texture when you serve it.

Here is the link to the video recipe. In the video I have only used the turmeric, cumin and mustard seeds. 

Ingredients
1-2 tbsp oil
1/8 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 green chillies (to taste)
a pinch of asafoetida powder/hing (optional)
5-8 curry leaves
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
20-30 okra/bhindi/bhendi, sliced into thin pieces
2 tsp goda masala (optional)
1/8-1/2 tsp sugar, adjust to taste
salt to taste

Method
Heat the oil, add mustard and cumin seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle, add the hing powder, green chillies and curry leaves. Add the turmeric and then add the okra slices and mix well. As the okra cooks it will start releasing moisture and will release some stringy moisture. At this point, let it cook through. Stir it and let it cook till the okra starts becoming dry on medium heat. Stir it once in a while so that it doesn't stick to the base of the pan and slowly it will start becoming crisper and brown. Once it's as crispy as you want it, add the goda masala, and let it cook for a minute or two. Then add the sugar and salt. Stir and turn off the heat. Serve hot with some hot rotis.

Tips
I generally wash the okra a couple of hours or the night before I plan to cook it. Then I let it dry on a towel on my kitchen counter. Then I store this in the fridge if I cook it the next day. Do not add salt till the end, as it will increase the amount of moisture released by the okra. If you don't have goda masala on hand, you can substitute some dhania-jeera powder instead (cumin-corriander powders). You can skip the "goda masala" at the end and it will still be one of the tastiest okra preparations.