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Jholi
झोली: a light Kumaoni curd and gram-flour kadhi with no pakoras, tempered with jakhya
Jholi is the thin, everyday kadhi of Kumaon, cooked when there is curd in the house and no time for pakoras, and spooned over rice for a quick lunch. It is tempered with jakhya, a tiny crunchy hill seed with a mustardy bite, and coloured gold with turmeric. Because there are no fritters, it is lighter and tangier than a Punjabi kadhi. The common mistake is letting it boil before the gram flour has cooked in, which splits the curd into grains. Chef's tip: keep stirring in one direction until the first bubble; after that the jholi is stable and can simmer on its own.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the jholi
- 10 ½ oz sour plain yoghurt (curd)
- 3 tbsp gram flour (besan)
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
For the tadka
- 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk 10 ½ oz sour plain yoghurt (curd) and 3 tbsp gram flour (besan) in a pan until completely smooth, then whisk in 3 cups water, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt.
3 minStep 2: Heat 1 ½ tbsp mustard oil in a separate small pan until hot. Add 1 tsp jakhya seeds (or mustard seeds) and ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds; when they splutter, add 2 dried red chillies and ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing) for 10 seconds.
2 minStep 3: Pour the tadka into the curd mixture and put the pan on medium heat.
1 minStep 4: Stir constantly until it comes to a boil, about 6–8 minutes, so the curd doesn't split.
8 minStep 5: Lower the heat and simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until it no longer tastes floury and coats the back of a spoon thinly.
15 minStep 6: Stir in ½ tsp red chilli powder, take off the heat and serve hot with rice.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jholi take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sour plain yoghurt (curd)?
- Greek yoghurt loosened with a little milk.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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