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Sindhi Kadhi (Roasted Gram Flour and Tamarind Vegetable Stew)

Sindhi Kadhi (Roasted Gram Flour and Tamarind Vegetable Stew) reads sourness 4.9, sweetness 4.1 and umami 3.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Sindhi main, about 1 hr. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.0 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 5.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.9 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.9 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sourness 4.9 · Sweetness 4.1 · Umami 3.9 · Salinity 3.7 · Heat 3.4 · Fruity 3.1 · Nutty 3.1 · Citrus 2.9 · Richness 2.8 · Warm Spice 2.8 · Earthy 2.7 · Herbaceous 1.7 · Allium 1.5 · Bitterness 1.4 · Floral 1.1 · Funk & Ferment 0.8

What's in it (17)

• chickpea flour — 38 g
• peanut oil — 54 g
• cumin seeds — 5 g
• fenugreek seeds — 3 g
• asafoetida — 1 g
• curry leaves — 2 g
• water — 1200 g
• tamarind paste — 60 g
• drumstick — 150 g
• cluster beans — 150 g
• potato — 150 g
• okra — 100 g
• tomato — 120 g
• turmeric — 5 g
• chilli powder — 10 g
• ground coriander — 15 g
• salt — 10 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr (59 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 36.6 kcal, 1.5 g protein, 1.9 g fat, 4.2 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Heat the groundnut oil in a heavy pot, add the cumin and fenugreek and let them bloom for 25 seconds until the cumin darkens, then the asafoetida and curry leaves for 10 seconds.
2. Tip in the gram flour and roast it in the oil over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns the colour of wet sand and smells nutty rather than raw. This roux is the entire body of the dish, and it is the sharpest technical marker in the region: Sindhi kadhi contains no yogurt and no buttermilk at all. A Punjabi or Gujarati kadhi is a soured dairy soup; this is a roasted besan stew soured with tamarind, and the two share only a name.
3. Pour in the hot water in a thin stream, whisking hard the whole time so no lumps form, and bring it to a simmer.
4. Strain in the tamarind water, add the chopped tomato, turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander and salt and simmer 15 minutes.
5. Add the drumstick, cluster beans and potato and cook a further 20 to 25 minutes, until the potato is soft and the kadhi has thickened to the consistency of pouring cream.
6. Fry the okra separately in a spoonful of oil for 5 minutes until it stops being slimy, and stir it in for the last 3 minutes only, so it holds its shape.
7. Serve with plain rice and, if you have them, sweet boondi or fried potatoes on the side, which is how it is eaten in a Sindhi house on a Sunday.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Kara Kuzhambu (Sour Shallot and Aubergine Gravy) — Indian · Tamil Nadu
• Mirchi ka Salan (Chillies in Peanut and Sesame Gravy) — Indian · Hyderabad
• Rasam (Pepper and Tamarind Broth) — Indian · Tamil Nadu
• Xitti Kodi (Saraswat Fish Curry with Kokum, No Onion or Garlic) — Indian · Goa
• Koshari — Egyptian

Keep reading: what sourness, sweetness, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.