Name: Kadhi
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup whole-milk plain yogurt (not Greek); ¼ cup chickpea flour; 1 tsp. ground turmeric; 1 Tbsp. plus 4½ tsp. ghee or extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 5 whole cloves; 2 bay leaves; ½ tsp. black peppercorns; ½ tsp. black mustard seeds; ½ tsp. fenugreek seeds; 1½ tsp. cumin seeds, divided; 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more if needed; Fresh lime juice (optional); 3 dried red chiles; ½ tsp. asafetida (optional, but really great); ¼ tsp. red chili powder; Cooked rice (for serving)

A large pot and two bowls of bright yellow turmeric soup with rice and chili oil

Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by yekaterina boystova

Kadhi is similar in texture to cream of [fill in the blank] soup, but with no cream, and…well…better. All you need to make it are yogurt, chickpea flour, and spices. But don’t let the simplicity fool you: Kadhi is both deeply comforting and insanely complex in its flavor, like a cozy blanket draped over a hot bowl of white rice. The exact recipe varies from region to region in India, and sometimes includes add-ins, like chickpea flour–based fritters called pakoras, but we like it thick, rich, and spice-forward, with a pleasant tanginess at the end. If you don’t like peppercorn flavor, feel free to nix them or cut the amount in half.

Recipe notes