This yoghurt curry is a hug in a bowl, and the perfect meal for when you can’t be bothered cooking.

Kadhi is not the same as curry. At least not the spicy tomato curry – possibly with chicken – that’s coming to your mind as you read this. Rather, kadhi is a simple yoghurt-based vegetarian curry commonly served in Gujarati, Sindhi and Rajasthani Indian homes.

Thursdays at my mum’s house are vegetarian and if you pop in to see her on that day there will always be dahi kadhi for dinner. Because by that point she’s fed up with cooking and just wants a simple meal that comes together in less than 10 minutes.

Made with just a handful of spices, dahi kadhi is easy to digest and perfect for when you’re not feeling 100%. I remember making it while I was overseas on my student exchange and getting that hug-in-a-bowl feeling.

Serve your dahi kadhi with plain steamed rice and some microwave-toasted poppadums on the side. Want to go fancy? Fry up some onion bhajjis and dip them into the kadhi just before serving.

DAHI KADHI

• 3 tbsp chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 12-16 fresh curry leaves
• 1 tsp sugar
• 400gm plain yoghurt (at room temperature)
• 250ml water
• Salt to taste
• Optional: 1 dried red or green chilli, slit and sliced thinly

Mix the room-temperature yoghurt, chickpea flour and turmeric powder in a bowl. Gradually add the required amount of water and whisk together. If the mixture is too thick, add in some more water so the mixture is to a consistency of your liking.

Add the yoghurt mixture to a saucepan and heat it on low until it simmers.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the ghee until very hot. Quickly add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilli and curry leaves. The seeds and leaves will pop and bubble, this is normal. Switch off the heat and take the saucepan off the stove so that the spices don’t burn.

Add the tempered ghee mixture into the yoghurt mixture. Add in the sugar and then season with salt.

On a low heat, allow the kadhi to come to a simmer once again. Keep stirring to ensure the yoghurt doesn’t split.

Serve hot with steamed rice.