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Rabodi ki sabzi
Dried maize wafers in yogurt curry
राबोड़ी की सब्जी: Jain-friendly Marwari curry of sun-dried maize and buttermilk wafers in a tangy, spiced dahi gravy
In the Thar desert towns of Barmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner, green vegetables were scarce for much of the year, so women boiled maize flour with sour buttermilk in summer, spread it in thin rounds on cloth and dried it in the sun. Those rabodi keep for months and become this curry: fried until puffed, then simmered in a spiced yogurt gravy until soft and chewy. It is tangy, savoury and comforting, eaten with bajra roti or rice, and because it has no onion, garlic or fresh ginger, it suits a Jain or Marwari festive thali. A common mistake is letting the dahi gravy boil before it has been stirred to a boil with besan; it curdles. Whisk besan into the dahi and stir constantly until it comes to a boil. Chef's tip: fry the rabodi only until they puff and turn a shade darker; burnt rabodi taste bitter and stay hard in the gravy.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rabodi
- 2 ⅛ oz rabodi (sun-dried maize and buttermilk wafers)broken into 4 cm pieces
- 4 tbsp groundnut oilfor frying
For the gravy
- 10 ½ oz plain dahi (yogurt)slightly sour
- 1 tbsp besan (gram flour)
- 1 ¾ cups water
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
For the tadka
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 green chillislit
To finish
- ⅓ oz fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 4 tbsp groundnut oil in a kadai over medium heat and fry 2 ⅛ oz rabodi (sun-dried maize and buttermilk wafers) a handful at a time for 30–40 seconds, until they puff and turn a shade darker. Drain on paper.
5 minStep 2: Whisk 10 ½ oz plain dahi (yogurt) with 1 tbsp besan (gram flour) until smooth, then whisk in 1 ¾ cups water, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 ½ tsp ground coriander and 1 tsp salt.
3 minStep 3: Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the frying oil. Add 1 tbsp ghee, then 1 tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds and 2 dried red chillies, and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
1 minStep 4: Add ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing), 1 green chilli and ¼ tsp dry ginger powder (sonth), then pour in the dahi mixture.
1 minStep 5: Stir constantly over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until it comes to a boil; it should look smooth, not split.
8 minStep 6: Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened, then add the fried rabodi and simmer for 6–8 minutes more, until they are soft but still a little chewy.
14 minStep 7: Scatter with ⅓ oz fresh coriander and serve hot; the gravy thickens as it stands, so loosen with a splash of hot water if needed.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rabodi ki sabzi take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 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 ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of red chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
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