Slow-Cooker Yogurt Soup with Daikon

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 240 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6 Servings

One of the first things I learned when I began using a slow cooker was to avoid dairy, or at the very least, wait to add it at the end of cooking since it would curdle or separate if cooked for a longer period of time. Which is why I was surprised to find a recipe in Neela Paniz’s cookbook, The Indian Slow Cooker, for yogurt soup.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
Pinch of asafetida
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 whole dried red árbol chile, broken
1 (1-inch) piece cassia, broken
2 black cardamom pods
4 cloves
5 to 6 kari or curry leaves
2 1/2 cups full-fat plain yogurt, store-bought or homemade, at room temperature
5 cups water
3 tablespoons chickpea flour
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground Indian red chile or árbole chile
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 medium daikon, peeled and cut into thin 1 1/2-inch-long sticks

Instructions

Before prepping the ingredients, turn the slow cooker on to the high setting for 15 minutes, until the insert is warmed through. To make the tadka, heat the oil on high in a small saucepan, with a lid handy. Tilt the oil to form a pool and add the asafetida and mustard seeds; cover immediately to avoid splattering. When the sputtering of the seeds subsides, add the cumin seeds and then the chile, cassia, cardamom, cloves, and kari leaves. Add to the heated slow cooker insert.
To make the soup, in a bowl, whisk the yogurt with the water. Sift the chickpea flour into it and blend again. Add the turmeric, red chile, salt, and sugar. Mix well and add to the slow cooker. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 hours. Add the daikon and continue to cook for another half an hour (no longer, or the daikon will overcook).
You can remove the cassia, cardamom, and cloves before serving.