Being a Punjabi, rajma chawal, chole chawal and kadhi chawal are usual suspects at my lunch table during the week. Although I’m not a huge fan of kadhi, it has a really refreshing taste, giving you a break from the hot and spicy masala gravies. For those untouched by the phenomenon, kadhi is a gravy dish originating from the desert lands of Rajasthan and having a thin consistency. It is usually dunked with pakoras or fritters and the tanginess comes from the use of curd. Across the country, you’ll find different kinds of kadhis with varying flavours. There is the Punjabi kadhi, the Sindhi kadhi, Gujarati kadhi and many more.
However, have you had the biggest kadhi chawal of India? This Delhi eatery called Gabbar Kadhi Chawal makes one of the biggest kadhi chawals in India. The food blogger @foodincarnate took to his Instagram handle to share a glimpse of the making of this dish. The large quantities of kadhi and chawal are carried off to the eatery and sold to customers throughout the day. This is what it looks like.
Source: Foodie Incarnate/Instagram
While this short reel has managed to garner the attention and views of a plethora of people, the blogger also shared the entire process of the making of kadhi chawal on his YouTube channel. In the video, the person begins by adding water to a large pot. While it boils, he adds a tadka (spice mix) of jeera and a couple of other spices to the water. Then black pepper and a host of greens like methi, palak and dhaniya are added to the large pot. All of this is mixed. Juliennes of garlic are added to the pot along with numerous packets of salt. Buttermilk or chhachh is added to the mixture and then it is stirred. Gradually other ingredients are added to the mix like raw green chillies, butter and dahi. While it is continuously stirred for almost two and half hours. When it comes to a boil, it is transferred to the drums. Approximately 30 kg of rice is boiled alongside and this is filled in drums too.
Source: Foodie Incarnate/YouTube
All this is carried to the shop and then the pakoras (fritters) are added to the kadhi along with red chillies. The kadhi is served on a bed of rice with a garnish of onions, green chutney and chilly pickle. Are you tempted to eat kadhi today. Here is a recipe to try.