We Punjabi love our kadhi pakora. Deep-fried crispy pakoras are added in yogurt, besan (gram flour) and spices rich North Indian curry that tastes super delicious. Here’s my favorite recipe to make Best Punjabi kadhi pakora at home.
Mostly served as Kadhi chawal, because kadhi with plain rice or jeera rice is most delicious.
Even if you are not a Punjabi but lived in Delhi long enough you already know that Kadhi and Chawal and Rajma chawal these two combinations are favourites!
There are many types of kadhi recipes that are cooked in various Indian cuisine. But most of them are different in taste texture etc. Still all kadhi recipes have one common ingredient Besan and most of them have yogurt.
The kadhi that is prepared in Punjabi homes is slightly different from the kadhi in other states of India. Punjabi kadhi is thicker than rest and has savoury fritters (Pakora). This tastes quite flavourful spicy and tangy. A variety of pakora to make it taste different is a MUST!
Rajasthani and Gujarati kadhi is considered light meal. It is thin, has no pakora and slightly sweet in taste. Gujarati kadhi is served with Dal Khichdi.
Many regions of India have their own version of dahi Kadhi. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, it is usually considered as a light meal and kadhi is thinner in consistency. Also it is served with khichdi, roti or rice. Most often these both differs from Punjabi Kadhi as it is eaten without pakoras.
Sindhi kadhi is prepared with vegetables and gram flour in tamarind based tangy gravy but no curd which is again served with rice. I have few of them will leave a link in last of this post.
For Now Let’s talk about How to make Punjabi kadhi at Home.
Ingredients For Kadhi Pakora
For making the base of punjabi kadhi you need 2 ingredients - Besan (gram flour) and yogurt (curds).
Spices: Red chilli powder, fenugreek seeds (methi dana), turmeric powder, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves, salt, hollered chillis
Fresh: ginger garlic paste and sliced onion
Ingredients for Pakora
Besan/Gram flour
Spices: Red chilli powder, salt, carrom seeds,
Fresh: Potatoes, methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)
Oil for frying fritters and for tempering (tadka)
Variety of Pakora for Kadhi
We love our kadhi with onion and chilli pakora (fritters), but isn’t it true that variety adds spice to our life! So you can prepare different types of pakora for kadhi.
Week after week you can try so many variations of kadhi and each time you will fall in love with kadhi pakoda once more 🙂
You can make any of these pakora recipes for kadhi. Palak Pakora, Air fried ragi and methi pakora, corn pakora, masoor dal pakora and so many other varieties that you can try.
How to Make Punjabi Kadhi?
To make kadhi, first a batter is made with besan and yogurt and then cooked with spices. Since the word kadhi literally means “kadhna” which in punjabi means well cooked, this thin batter with tempering is cooked on slow heat till it thickens and beautiful creamy thick gravy is formed.
It tastes good fresh but tastes best and total divine when eaten next day!
Steps of Making
Prepare Pakora
To make pakora/ Pakoda for kadhi, start with making Pakora batter first. Take a mixing bowl and add onion, potato and green chilli in it. (chopped).
After that, add coriander leaves and mint leaves, salt, red chilli powder turmeric powder, black pepper powder and carrom seeds.
Add in potatoes, fenugreek leaves (chopped) and besan. Mix everything well nicely.
Mix these dry ingredients and add water to make pakora batter.
Now, heat some oil in pan and take small amount of pakora batter and drop small portions of pakora batter in hot oil. Use a spoon or drop it with fingers as shown in the picture.
Deep fry the fritters/pakora till these are crispy and keep them aside.
Next step is optional but I highly recommend that and cut strips of papad and deep fry in hot oil. Keep them aside and use later for garnishing the kadhi.
To Prepare Kadhi
To make batter for the kadhi in a bowl mix yogurt, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and whisk it.
Next add in water and whisk well. Add in gram flour/besan. Keep whisking to ensure that there are no lumps in the batter. Keep this batter aside.
Now heat oil in a deep pan/ sauce pan and then add cumin, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds and red chilies in it. Cook on low heat for a minute.
When the seeds start to pop up add sliced onion in it. Stir the onions until they have a pinkish color and then add curry leaves and ginger garlic paste in it.
Cook for few minutes and then pour kadhi batter (besan +curd mix) in the pan. Cook that for 20-30 minutes.
Kadhi is cooked, then carefully add the pakodas in the pan and mix well. Remember to add pakora only if you intend to eat it immediately. Otherwise add them only when you are ready to serve it.
For the final tadka, in a small pan heat oil, add fenugreek seeds, whole red chilies and red chili powder and pour it over the kadhi. Serve kadhi pakora hot with steamed rice.
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Tips to Make Best Kadhi Pakora
- The best tasting kadhi has slightly tangy taste. Try to use slightly sour curd. It has to have slightly tangy taste for that full fat sour curd is must. A days old yogurt works great for it.
- Since very few spices are added in making kadhi the best thing you can do while cooking kadhi is allowing it to cook slowly. The longer you cook it the tastier it becomes.
- To make crisp pakora, do not add too much water keep the pakora batter dry.
- You can air fry pakora instead of deep fry.
- Add pakora to kadhi just before serving if you like them crunchy. Adding them while cooking can make pakora soft and soggy and they break easily. The right time for adding crunchy pakora is just before serving the kadhi.
- Another tip to make best pakora is add a pinch baking soda. It keeps pakora soft from inside and crunchy from outside.
- Not many people add final tempering or tadka, but I highly recommend it for a smoky flavour and a gorgeous presentation.
How to Serve Kadhi Pakora
Kadhi Chawal is the best way to enjoy it. In which kadhi is served either with steamed rice or jeera rice. Garnish it with thinly sliced fried papad and onion salad and it sure becomes a meal to remember!
More Such Recipes You Can Try
Sindhi Kadhi Recipe
Chana Masala
Punjabi Aloo Pyaz Recipe
Punjabi Matar Paneer
Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda Recipe
Ingredients
For Pakora
- 100 gram Besan/Gram flour
- 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- Oil for frying
- 1 small onion sliced
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds ajwain
- 1 small potato thin sliced
- 1 cup fenugreek leaves methi
For Kadhi
- 3 tablespoon Besan/Gram flour
- 1.5 cup Yogurt
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds methi dana
- 10-11 Curry leaves
- 2-3 Red chili dried
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
Instructions
To Make Pakora for Kadhi
- Take a bowl and mix besan, coriander leaves, red chilli powder, carom seeds, salt to taste , turmeric powder, chopped fenugreek (methi leaves) and make a thick batter. If you do not have fenugreek leaves leave it out.
- While making the batter for the pakoda, add water in small batches so that we get a thick batter for pakodas.
- Now, heat some oil in a pan for deep frying pakora. When the oil is hot enough carefully, drop a spoonful of pakoda batter in it. Allow the pakodas to fry.
- When one side is cooked then flip and cook from other side as well. Fry all the pakora/fritter until they are crisp golden brown. When they are done, switch off the heat and keep them aside.
- You can also fry small strips of cut papad if you are using them for garnish.
To Make Punjabi Kadhi
- Now, in a mixing bowl, whisk curd/yogurt and add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, add water and whisk it. Next add in besan and whisk it in yogurt water mix and make a smooth mixture or batter.
- Now heat 1 tablespoon oil in another deep pan or sauce pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds in the pan. When the seeds start to pop up then add 7-8 curry leaves and 2-3 whole red chili in it.
- Next add in sliced onion and cook them till these are light brown in colour.
- Finally add besan and curd mixture in it. Add small amount at a time and keep stirring it.
- Bring the punjabi kadhi to boil and reduce the heat. Let it simmer on low heat for about 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally in between.
- Just before serving add the pakodas and simmer the kadhi for about 5 more minutes.
To Serve
- Add 2-3 tablespoon of steamed rice. Pour hot kadhi pakora on it and top with fried papad and onions.
- Enjoy delicious curry!
Riya
Kadhi Chawal is a regular in my home which we serve with bhajiyas.
I will definitely try this version. 😀
Diwakar
Very Nice Recipe! all steps are very clearly mentioned and images of Kadhi Banane Ki Vidhi are so good!