Dahi Tikhari is an all-time favourite item at my home. Everyone, including me, likes it, whether it is lunch or dinner time.
I serve dahi tikhari even with dhokla and khaman. It’s total YUM! Not only this, but it also tastes excellent with breakfast items like paratha and thepla. All in all, this tadke wali dahi works well with almost all the main course items.
Now that we know dahi tikhari is what we will make today, let’s begin. Shall we?
The terms dahi and tikhari come from the native Indian language. Dahi is curd, whereas tikhari means tempering or tempered items. So the word tikhari can be associated with recipes that involve tempering. Now it could be the masalas that need to be tempered or the vegetables or something similar.
In this recipe, we will temper the curd, which is why the name is dahi tikhari. Let me tell you why you must make this item often. Here you go.
If you ask me why I prefer making dahi tikhari at home regularly, then the last reason is my answer. I love tadke wali dahi over pickles, murabba, ketchup and chutneys. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t like these items. Still, if given a choice, I will always go with dahi tikhari.
The crux of this recipe is to temper the curd. Remember, just tempering, not cooking the curd.
As far as tempering is concerned, one can do it in two ways.
First, temper the curd on the gas stove or induction cooktops using a pan or a pot.
The second method is to prepare the tadka separately and pour it over the curd. After pouring the tadka over the curd, gently mix and leave it for 5 minutes. The ingredients will release their flavours.
When you try the second method, I mean pouring the tadka and ensuring the curd is at room temperature. Do not pour if the curd is chilled. The temperature of the tempered items will immediately drop. Moreover, it won’t even mix properly. Hence, keep this small tip in mind.
Now that you know what we will make today, let’s begin. Although it is an accompaniment, your family members will always prefer to eat it first. Try it. Okay, now time for some helping hand.
Here are some tips to help you make an amazingly delicious curd recipe. Follow them, and you will see better results.
This recipe has two prominent flavours, viz mildly sweet and spicy. Since we are using curd, there will be smoothness in the final dish. So that’s how your dahi tikhari will taste.
No, the curd will not curdle because there are other ingredients along with cooking oil. Moreover, we won’t be cooking the curd, just tempering it on low heat.
Yes, you can add rock salt in a moderate quantity—for instance, 1/4 tsp or at the most 1/2 tsp only. However, too much rock salt will make your recipe salty.
Yes, you can add green chilli paste but equivalent to 2 green chillies only. Make sure you don’t add too many green chillies; otherwise, it will overpower other flavours.
Dry red chilli is a widely used ingredient in tadka. Therefore, you can use it. You can even replace green chilli with dry red chillies.
It is not mandatory to add sugar. You can skip it or reduce the quantity. However, I would suggest adding at least 1/2 tbsp to decrease the intensity of the spicy taste.