Step 1

Mix yogurt and chickpea flour in a large measuring glass until smooth and homogeneous. Stir in 1 cup water, followed by turmeric—the mixture should be a pale yellow color; set aside.

Step 2

Melt 1 Tbsp. ghee in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat. Add cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and ½ tsp. cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until mustard seeds start to pop, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add reserved yogurt mixture and 3 cups water; mix well. Season with 2 tsp. salt. Taste—the mixture should be tangy, rich, and distinctly flavored by the spices. Add lime juice to taste and more salt if needed.

Step 3

Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly (if you stop stirring, it will curdle). Insert a large long-handled spoon into the pot to prevent soup from boiling over and let cook 10 minutes without stirring (if at any point it looks like it might boil over, reduce heat to medium-high for a minute before turning it back up). The kadhi should become thicker and brighter in color and look like a creamy soup. Taste again and add more lime juice if needed.

Step 4

About 5 minutes before kadhi is done cooking, melt remaining 4½ tsp. ghee in a small saucepan or butter warmer over medium-high. Cook remaining 1 tsp. cumin seeds until they start to sputter and turn brown, a matter of seconds. Immediately remove pan from heat and stir in chiles, asafetida (if using), and chili powder.

Step 5

Stir spiced ghee into kadhi and serve in bowls over rice.