Kadhi Pakora — Pakistani Yogurt Curry with Chickpea Fritters

Whisk the yogurt in a large bowl. Sift in the chickpea flour and whisk until no lumps remain. Add the water gradually, starting with a few spoonfuls and then pouring in a thin stream; the flour dissolves smoothly only when the liquid is added slowly. Stir in the turmeric and salt.

Pour the cold mixture into a pot. Over medium heat, stir continuously in one direction with a wooden spoon until it boils. Do not stop stirring before it boils: yogurt added to heat without stirring can curdle and will not come back together. Once boiling, reduce the heat, leave the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 35 minutes more, stirring occasionally. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon and leave a trail as it runs.

Massage the finely chopped onion with the salt and let it stand for 2 minutes; add the liquid it releases to the batter. Add the chickpea flour, baking powder, finely chopped hot chili, and cilantro. Gradually add water and mix to a batter slightly thicker than yogurt. It should fall from a spoon in one piece rather than run.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet. The temperature is right when a drop of batter sinks and then immediately rises to the surface. Drop in spoonfuls of batter using a teaspoon, without crowding the skillet, and fry for 4 minutes per side, until dark golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Drop the pakoras into the kadhi one at a time and let them sit over low heat for 8 minutes; they will absorb the sauce on the outside while staying plump inside. Do not stir with a spoon; gently shake the pot to settle them.

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the cumin seeds; as they crackle and begin to darken, add the thinly sliced garlic and whole dried chilies. When the garlic turns golden, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the red pepper flakes using the residual heat; they burn and turn bitter within seconds over direct heat. Pour the sizzling tempering over the kadhi and serve with rice without stirring it in.