Himachali Recipe
Himachali Redu – Kangra’s Tempered Yogurt Dish
Himachali Redu is a tempered yogurt dish, made by whisking dahi into a tadka of mustard oil, mustard seeds, cumin, garlic, onion and chillies. It is everyday home cooking rather than feast food, served warm with rice or roti.
What is Himachali Redu?
Himachali Redu is a simple, comforting dish from the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh. It is made with whisked curd, gently mixed into a hot tempering of mustard oil, garlic, onions and spices. There is no flour or thickening agent — just good curd and a few everyday ingredients.
The name is regional. Elsewhere the same idea carries other names: tikhari in Gujarat, masale wali dahi or tadka raita more widely in Hindi. They are close relatives rather than the same dish, and what separates Redu is the tempering it goes into, built on mustard oil, chopped garlic and sliced onion rather than a quick jeera and hing tadka.
It is worth saying what Redu is not. This is not Dham food. Dham cooking leaves out onion and garlic entirely, which is why Telia Maah and Khatta Kaddu contain neither. Redu uses both, generously, and that is the clearest sign of what kind of dish it is.
How is Redu Different from Kadhi?
The short answer is besan. Kadhi is built on gram flour, which thickens the yogurt and lets it be simmered for a long time without splitting. Redu has no besan in it at all, so it stays thin, and it cannot take heat in the same way.
That single difference drives everything else about the dish. Kadhi is a slow preparation that improves with simmering and can be cooked for half an hour or more. Redu is finished in a few minutes, and the last stage is a gentle warming rather than a cook.
Ingredients
Serves 4 people / 4 लोगों के लिए
English
- Cold-pressed mustard oil — 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds — ½ tsp
- Cumin seeds (jeera) — ½ tsp
- Garlic cloves, finely chopped — 4–5
- Curry leaves — a few
- Green chillies, slit — 1–2
- Dry red chilli, roughly cut — 1 (optional)
- Onion, thinly sliced — 1 medium
- Kashmiri red chilli powder — 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder (haldi) — ½ tsp
- Freshly ground black pepper — ¼ tsp
- Salt — to taste
- Thick dahi, well whisked — 1 to 1½ cups
- Water — as required
- Fresh coriander, chopped — to garnish
हिंदी
- कच्ची घानी सरसों का तेल — 2 बड़े चम्मच
- सरसों के दाने — ½ छोटा चम्मच
- जीरा — ½ छोटा चम्मच
- लहसुन की कलियाँ, बारीक कटी — 4–5
- करी पत्ते — कुछ
- हरी मिर्च, चीरी हुई — 1–2
- सूखी लाल मिर्च — 1 (वैकल्पिक)
- मध्यम प्याज़, पतला कटा — 1
- कश्मीरी लाल मिर्च पाउडर — 1 छोटा चम्मच
- हल्दी पाउडर — ½ छोटा चम्मच
- ताज़ी पिसी काली मिर्च — ¼ छोटा चम्मच
- नमक — स्वादानुसार
- गाढ़ा दही, अच्छी तरह फेंटा हुआ — 1–1½ कप
- पानी — आवश्यकतानुसार
- बारीक कटा हरा धनिया — सजाने के लिए
How Do You Make Redu?
Whisk the Curd
Beat the dahi until it is completely smooth with no lumps at all. Set it aside. Do this first, not while the tempering is waiting.
Heat the Mustard Oil
Warm 2 tablespoons in a deep pan until it is hot. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Build the Tempering
Add the cumin seeds, chopped garlic, curry leaves, green chillies and dry red chilli. Fry for a few seconds until the garlic turns light gold and smells sweet.
Brown the Onion
Add the sliced onion and cook on medium to medium-high until it is soft and lightly browned. Stir in the turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and black pepper, and cook a few seconds more.
Take it Off the Heat
Let the pan cool for a minute or two. This step is not optional.
Add the Curd Gradually
Pour the whisked dahi in a little at a time, stirring without stopping. Add salt. Then add water to the consistency you want — thicker for roti, thinner for rice.
Warm it Through
Return the pan to the lowest flame, stirring often, until it is warm. Do not let it boil. Garnish with coriander and serve.
What Do You Serve Redu With?
Plain steamed rice most of the time. Redu is thin enough to eat with rice the way you would a dal, and that is how it turns up on a Kangra table most often.
- Steamed Himalayan Red Rice — the firmer grain holds up beautifully under it
- Himalayan Black Rice for contrast and a nuttier bite
- Plain white rice, the everyday Kangra way
With roti or paratha, keep it thicker. Hold back some of the water so it coats rather than runs, and it becomes something closer to a spiced curd to scoop up. It also works as part of a larger meal, sitting alongside a dry sabzi where its job is to loosen everything else on the plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Himachali Redu?
Redu is a tempered yogurt dish from the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh. Whisked dahi is stirred into a tadka of mustard oil, mustard seeds, cumin, garlic, curry leaves, chillies and browned onion, then warmed gently. It is everyday home food, eaten with rice or roti.
Is Redu the same as kadhi?
No. Kadhi uses besan, which thickens the yogurt and lets it simmer for a long time without splitting. Redu has no besan, stays thin, and is warmed rather than cooked. Kadhi also leans sour from aged curd, while Redu wants fresh, thick curd and gets its character from mustard oil.
Why does my Redu curdle?
Heat, almost always. Curd splits when the proteins tighten and force out water, and with no besan there is nothing protecting them. Whisk the curd smooth, take the pan off the flame for a minute before adding it, pour it in gradually, and never let the finished dish reach a simmer.
Can I use another oil instead of mustard oil?
You can, and the dish will still work, but it will not taste like Redu. Mustard oil is doing most of the flavour here, and a neutral oil leaves the dish resting entirely on the garlic and onion. If you use mustard oil, use cold-pressed rather than refined.
Can Redu be made in advance?
Yes. It keeps a few hours in the fridge and can be warmed gently over a low flame when you serve it, with the same rule about not letting it boil. It is also good cold or at room temperature, which is how it is often eaten through the summer.
