GANUSUGADDA WHEY

Ingredients

• 2 litres cows whey (Five seers or two measures in the original. Use fresh liquid whey left over from making paneer or yoghurt. If unavailable, thin plain yoghurt with water to a watery consistency.)
• 150 grams boot gram powder (Five pollams in the original. Boot gram is black chickpea (kala chana). Use dried black chickpeas ground to a coarse flour, or substitute besan (chickpea flour) as the closest available alternative.)
• 1 teaspoon menti paste (Menti is fenugreek (methi) in Telugu. Use fresh or dried fenugreek leaves ground to a paste with a little water, or use fenugreek seed paste.)
• 1 tablespoon refined salt (Use fine table salt. Adjust to taste.)
• 500 grams ganusagadda root, cut into round slices (One seer in the original. Ganusagadda is elephant foot yam (suran or jimikand). Peel, wash, and cut into round slices approximately 5mm thick. Handle with oiled hands as the raw root can cause skin irritation. If unavailable, taro root is the closest substitute.)
• 0.5 teaspoon asafoetida (Ten grains in the original, which corresponds to a small pinch. Use powdered asafoetida (hing). A little goes a long way — start with a small amount.)
• 1 teaspoon carapala leaves (Carapala is believed to refer to a regional herb used in South Indian cooking. Use fresh curry leaves as the closest modern equivalent if carapala is unavailable.)
• 1 teaspoon cumin (The original specifies 'some cumin'. Use whole cumin seeds for tempering.)
• 0.5 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (The original specifies fenugrick seeds. Use whole fenugreek seeds for tempering. Do not over-fry as they turn bitter quickly.)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter or ghee (Ghee is preferred for authentic flavour. Use clarified butter or good quality unsalted butter as an alternative.)

Instructions

1. 1Oil your hands lightly before handling the ganusagadda root (elephant foot yam), as the raw root can cause skin irritation. Peel the root using a sturdy knife or vegetable peeler, then wash it thoroughly under cold running water. Cut it into round slices approximately 5mm thick and set aside in a bowl of cold water to prevent discolouration.
2. 2Pour approximately 2 litres of fresh cows whey into a large, heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan. A heavy-bottomed pot is important to prevent the mixture from scorching at the bottom during the long simmer. Place the pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
3. 3Before the whey heats up, whisk in the 150 grams of boot gram powder (kala chana flour or besan) thoroughly. Pour the powder in gradually while stirring constantly with a whisk or spoon to prevent lumps from forming. Ensure the powder is fully dissolved and there are no dry clumps remaining in the liquid.
4. 4Add the teaspoon of menti paste (fenugreek paste), the tablespoon of refined salt, and the sliced ganusagadda root (drained from the cold water) to the pot. Stir everything together well so that the menti paste is evenly distributed throughout the liquid and the root slices are submerged in the whey mixture.
5. 5Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a full boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once it reaches a boil, it will rise up in the pot (this is what the original recipe calls 'fermenting' or rising). Stir it down and allow it to return to a boil. Repeat this process until the mixture has risen and been stirred down three times in total. Then reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer gently for a total of one hour from when it first came to a boil, or until the ganusagadda root slices are completely soft and tender when pierced with a fork. Stir every 10 minutes to prevent the gram flour from settling and sticking to the bottom.
6. 6When the main pot is nearly done simmering, prepare the tempering. Place a small frying pan or tadka pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee or melted butter. Once the ghee is hot and shimmering, add the fenugreek seeds first and fry for about 20 seconds until they begin to turn golden (watch carefully — fenugreek seeds burn and turn bitter very quickly). Then add the cumin seeds and fry for another 20 seconds until they splutter and become fragrant. Next, add the asafoetida (hing) and carapala leaves (or curry leaves) and fry for a further 10 to 15 seconds, stirring continuously. The tempering should be fragrant and golden, not dark or burnt. Remove from heat immediately.
7. 7Pour the hot tempering mixture — ghee, asafoetida, carapala leaves, cumin, and fenugreek seeds — directly into the simmering whey pot. Stir well to combine. Taste the broth and adjust salt if needed. Serve hot in bowls as a warming, digestive broth, with the ganusagadda root slices divided among the servings.