5 or 6 kari or curry leaves
For the soup:
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 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 medium daikon, peeled and cut into thin 1 1/2-inch-long sticks
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.
Reprinted with permission from The New Indian Slow Cooker by Neela Paniz, copyright (c) 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press.