Add besan and yogurt to a saucepan. Whisk them together until no lumps remain.
Add water, green chilies, jaggery, grated ginger and salt to the mixture and mix well.
Cook this mixture over medium to low heat until the raw taste of the besan goes away - this will take about 10 minutes. At this point, lower the heat to a simmer.
For the tempering, heat the oil or ghee (if using) in a small pan and add cumin and mustard seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and boriya chilies. Let it fry for 10 seconds and then switch off the gas.
Pour the tempering over the kadhi and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes before switching off the gas.
Garnish with coriander.
Instant Pot Version
Add besan and yogurt to a saucepan. Whisk them together until completely mixed and no lumps remain.
Add water, green chilies, jaggery, and salt to the mixture and mix well. Set it aside.
Set the Instant Pot on Sauté Mode. Adjust the heat levels to 'Normal'.
Pour oil or ghee (if using) into the steel pot. Once the display reads 'Hot', add cumin and mustard seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and boriya chilies.
Pour the besan-yogurt mixture into the steel pot and mix well.
Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program. Then select the Soup setting and set the cooking time for 6 minutes.
When the cooking program is complete, wait for 10 minutes for the pressure to release naturally. Move the pressure release valve to Venting to remove remaining pressure.
Garnish with coriander and serve with rice or khichdi.
Notes
Tips
Do not cook it on high heat or else the yogurt will curdle.
It is important that the besan-yogurt mixture is lump-free. Use a whisk for best results.
Variations
While this recipe calls for jaggery to sweeten the dish, you can substitute with an equal amount of sugar as well.
I prefer to add tempering as a final flavoring but if you want to make it a one-pot meal, start with the tempering and then add the yogurt-besan mixture. Refer to the Instant Pot directions.