Marwar’s tasty treat, the Kadhi

The charm of travelling through the state is that food, which apparently looks the same and mostly employs the same ingredients, changes in taste every fifty or so kilometres.
This is really true for the master dish: the Marwari Kadhi. Balendu Singh, who runs the Dev Vilas in Ranthambhore and is from Bikaner, explains, “In Marwar, the Kadhi differs by geography, with family roots as well as religious practise. The Jain community from Rajasthan and the Bania community will not use onions or garlic. Our Kadhi in Bikaner, for example, is entirely different; it’s called Khatto. Unlike the conventional Marwari Kadhi, which usually uses curd, ours is made from chaach (buttermilk). It is cooked much slower than the kadhi that you will eat in Jaisalmer or Udaipur; slow cooking in an earthen handi with very small amounts of garlic, onions, jeera, and just a touch of hing gives it a distinct flavour. Unlike the Bania community, the Rajput community also adds a little bit of fresh green chilli for the spicy trip.”
The Kadhi is loved beyond Rajasthan, and indeed, it is India’s gastronomic brand ambassador. It is one of the first things that foreigners visiting India, especially in tour groups on the golden triangle of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, get to taste. This dish is loved by people all over the world for its unique blend of spices, tangy flavour, and texture that seems to offset the heat, as you will read in the memoirs of travellers to India over the years.
The trick to an authentic, tasty Marwari Kadhi is in its ingredients. Kadhi is typically made by mixing yoghurt with besan (gramme flour), spices, and water. The mixture is then simmered over low heat until it thickens to a creamy consistency. This has to be done carefully; remember, curd can curdle, so no boiling! The dish is then seasoned with various spices and herbs, including cumin, turmeric, coriander, and mustard seeds. Rajasthan kadhi is distinct from other kadhi dishes in that it is spicier and has a thicker consistency. Now, without question, the best besan in the world is available at Bikaner; after all, Haldiram used it to create his billion-dollar sales empire!