While I made the usual veggie pakoras (see previous blog), Ashok crafted a curry to put them into.
It started off with a bunch of plain yogurt, mixed with water and turmeric in a pot on the stove. This mixture simmered and thickened while he fried up the flavor base - garlic, bay leaves, ginger, lots of cloves, etc (I'll have to pay closer attention next time).
He added the flavor base to the yogurt mix, then added the freshly deep-fried veggie pakoras, garam massala, and a healthy splash of lemon juice.
I asked him why he used yogurt instead of cream or milk, and he said it was to get make the currie sour. Indeed, between the yogurt and the lemon juice, it was fairly sour.
When you add the pakoras to a curry, they soak it up like sponges and take on a whole new texture.