Vidarbha's white kadhi, made without turmeric, suits Pitru Paksha meals

During Pitru Paksha, people remember their ancestors and pay them tribute. Indian culture gives the period special importance. In these days, after performing shraddha for the ancestors, families prepare sattvik and traditional dishes at home.

In Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, many traditional dishes are made for Pitru Paksha meals. To enhance the taste, a white kadhi is prepared here in a different way. No turmeric is used in this kadhi at all.

Everyone has eaten kadhi made with gram flour or plain curd. But kadhi made this way tastes very good. The spices give it a distinct colour and flavour. The Vidarbha special kadhi can therefore be made not only during Pitru Paksha but on other days as well. It goes very well with piping hot rice, and people end up eating a few mouthfuls more.

The ingredients are curd, gram flour, ghee, whole spices, betel leaves, peanuts, garlic, ginger, water, curry leaves, salt, coriander and cumin.

To make it, first take fresh curd in a vessel, add a little water and whisk it well. Add 1 or 2 spoons of gram flour to the whisked curd and mix everything thoroughly. There should be no lumps of flour.

Now put green chillies, garlic cloves, ginger, cumin, dagad phool, betel leaves and peanuts in a mixer jar and grind them fine. Add water if needed.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add cloves and cumin and fry the tempering. Then add the prepared paste and the curd mixture and immediately cover with a lid to give it a smoky tempering. This gives the dish its traditional flavour.

Finally, add curry leaves and salt to taste and mix. Once the kadhi comes to a boil, add finely chopped coriander and stir. The kadhi is ready to serve. This is the sour and spicy Vidarbha special kadhi.