Sindhi Kadhi

The singular signature of Sindhi cooking — a vegetable-laden curry thickened entirely with besan (chickpea flour) rather than yogurt, making it the only major Indian kadhi that is simultaneously vegan and deeply savoury. Besan is first dry-roasted in oil until golden and nutty, then tamarind water is added slowly while stirring to prevent lumps, the whole brought to a simmer with drumstick, potato, lotus root, cluster beans, tomato, and brinjal. The result is a thick, dark-golden, intensely tangy-savoury gravy with a substantial lentil-flour body; the tamarind's sourness and the toasted chickpea flour's nuttiness create a flavour profile unlike any other Indian curry. Poured generously over rice or eaten with koki at every Sindhi lunch.