India's tryst with Kadhi

Devanshee

India's tryst with Kadhi

It's one of the few curried delicacies that has many variations and can be enjoyed with rice and roti. It's yellow in colour, has a velvety texture, and looks warm and inviting, depending on where it's from- it tastes sweet and spicy, but all in all it tastes divine. Can you guess the dish I'm talking about? Yup! that's right, it's Kadhi.

Warm and inviting- India's favourite dish: Kadhi. Image source: The Hindu

Almost every person in South Asia is familiar with Kadhi. Even though it is a popular dish in Rajasthan, other places such as Sindh (now in Pakistan), Punjab, Gujarat, and Maharashtra have variations of Kadhi.

Although the main ingredients are sour yogurt and gram flour, fritters (pakora) and other spices and fruits are added in regional variations. Also, depending on the place, the taste of the Kadhi may be sweet or spicy.

But before we talk about the different types of Kadhi eaten in India, wouldn't it be better to look at its origin first?

We all know that Rajasthan is an arid region, where water is scarce, and there's very little rainfall that is not enough to sustain vegetation. But humans are adaptive creatures, and they somehow seem to find their way around things.

The harsh climate of Rajasthan led to the origin of dishes such as Kadhi, where sour yoghurt or buttermilk is the primary ingredient. Since water is scarce, most foods are cooked without fresh vegetables or water. The substitute for water is buttermilk or curd. Not just this, but the addition of spices to each dish helps in perspiration and leaves the body feeling cool.

Thus, Kadhi is also a cooling dish for all people in that region. So if you see your parents or grandparents cooking curry during summers, don't be surprised. It's a very tasty and healthy dish that helps the body cool down.

However, there's another interesting take on using sour yoghurt for Kadhi. As I've seen firsthand in my own house, whenever my mother says that the curd is too tart, I know we'll have Kadhi either that day or the following day. I don't mind it, but I often wonder if this is one of those cooking tricks that prevent food wastage. Whatever the case might be, the use of buttermilk and sour curd to make a delicious curry is absolutely divine.

In an interesting take on Kadhi, Sadaf Husain writes in his book, Dastaan-e-Dastarkhan: Stories And Recipes From Muslim Kitchens, about the amrud seb (guava and apple) ki Kadhi, where sauteed apple slices and raw guava are mixed in the cashew paste besan (gram flour) kadhi.

There are other variations of Kadhi that do not use buttermilk or curd. The popular Sindhi Kadhi requires souring agents such as Tamarind, the pulp of raw mango, or lime juice to get the desired taste. They use roasted chickpea flour and add vegetables to their mixture.

Despite the multiple variations, it is one of those few dishes that go well with roti (chappati) and rice and can be enjoyed even without heating. Not only that, but Kadhi is one dish that everyone has memories of.

Be it having Kadhi- Badi or Kadhi Kachori as snacks in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan. Or simply having Kadhi chawal for lunch or dinner in Indian homes- just like its warm, inviting colour and texture, Kadhi evokes emotions that make us feel fuzzy with happiness.

Like a few delicacies that are simple, common, yet unique in every variation, each person's memories with Kadhi make it the perfect summer cooling dish cooked with love.

According to another origin story, it is said that the Kadhi became the first authentic precursor to British curry as they had it way back in the 1600s when they came to India through the Surat.

Nevertheless, other theories include ones dating back to the Harappan civilization. No, they did not have the Kadhi that we know, but even if they did, there's no proof. However, there is evidence of mortar and pestle used to grind spices and pastes, presumably used in curry powders. But then again, in history, there are a lot of conjectures.

On the other hand, food historian K.T Acharya states that the word Kadhi had been used in the Tamil language by 1500 B.C.

Whatever, whenever, or wherever the origin of Kadhi might have happened, the regional variations have made it an exciting delicacy.

From the addition of jaggery in the Gujarati Kadhi to the punchy spices in the Marwari style, and the Punjabi-styled Kadhi cooked in an onion tadka in lots of buttermilk/curd base along with pakora- everything is a party on one's tastebuds. In Maharasthra, the spices added to the Kadhi change according to the seasons. While ginger, green chilies, and tadka of mustard seeds are preferred in summers, people usually add cloves and cinnamon sticks to Kadhi during winters.