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Kadhi Pakora
5 from 42 votes

Kadhi Pakora

Kadhi Pakora is a comforting Indian yogurt-based curry made with a tangy mixture of yogurt and gram flour, spiced with cumin, mustard, and optional fenugreek seeds. The pakoras are crisp gram flour fritters with onions, green chili, and cilantro. The pakoras are added to the simmering kadhi before serving, creating a dish with creamy, spicy, and slightly crispy textures combined in a flavorful stew.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4
Calories: 315 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For yogurt mixture
  • 2 cup yogurt at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup gram flour packed, besan
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder ground, aka Haldi powder
  • 4 cup water
To make kadhi
  • 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida skip for gluten-free, aka hing
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds aka Jeera
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds aka rai
  • 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds optional, aka methi dana
  • 10-12 curry leaves optional, aka Kadi Patta
  • 2 green chili cut lengthwise and halved
  • 1 teaspoon ginger grated
  • 3 cloves garlic mince (optional)
  • 1/2 cup onion sliced
  • 2 teaspoon coriander powder dhaniya powder
  • cilantro to garnish
For Pakora
  • 1/2 cup gram flour aka besan
  • 1 green chili pepper finely diced
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped, leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder ground, aka Haldi powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder dhaniya powder
  • 3 tablespoon water or more as needed
  • 1 cup onion sliced or chopped
  • neutral cooking oil for frying, generic cooking oil
For tadka
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds aka Jeera
  • 2 dry red chili
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder

Instructions

For yogurt mixture
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl, add yogurt, gram flour, salt and turmeric. Whisk it well. Then add water, continue whisking to make sure no lumps are formed. 
To make Kadhi
  1. Heat a large pot on medium-high flame. Add the ghee or oil. If possible, use mustard oil, it gives an authentic flavor to the kadhi. Make sure to heat the mustard oil until it smokes.
  2. Add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves. Let them splutter.
  3. Add the green chili, ginger, garlic, and saute for 30 seconds.
  4. Add the onions and saute for a minute. Then add the coriander powder and give it a mix.
  5. Add the prepared yogurt mixture to the pot while stirring continuously. 
  6. Keep stirring until it starts to boil. (We don't want the kadhi to curdle)
  7. Once boiled, keep on low and simmer for about 20-25 minutes. 
For pakora
  1. In a bowl, mix all the pakora ingredients except onions and oil. If you have time, keep this mixture for about 15 minutes. This helps to make soft pakoras. If not, add a pinch of baking soda to the gram flour batter. This will be a thick batter, not a runny batter.
  2. Add onions and mix well. You want to add onions to the batter when you are ready to fry the pakoras.
  3. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan (kadhai) over medium to high heat until it reaches 300°F. Once oil is hot, lower the heat to medium.
  4. Use a small scoop (or your fingers if you are comfortable) and drop the pakoras in the oil.  Cook several minutes per side until the pakora is golden brown. Turn the pakoras to make sure they cook evenly on the other side. Transfer the pakoras to a paper towel lined plate or bowl. 
  5. Kadhi should have cooked well by now. If the kadhi has thickened too much, you can add more water if you like.
  6. Add the pakoras to the kadhi and let it continue to simmer on low heat.
Making tadka
  1. In a small pan, add ghee and heat it on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and whole dry red chili's. Once seeds crackle, take the pan off heat.
  2. Add the Kashmiri Red chili powder, and give a quick stir. Now right away pour the tadka on the kadhi. (Don't delay, as otherwise the red chili powder can burn)
  3. Give a quick stir. Garnish with cilantro, and enjoy kadhi pakora with rice!

Notes

  • Let yogurt sit at room temperature to develop sourness before using.
  • Adjust green chili types and amounts to taste; Thai, Birdseye, or Serrano work well.
  • Remove stems from dried red chilies before using them for tadka.
  • Add pakoras to kadhi 10-15 minutes before serving to keep them from becoming too soft.
  • Use air fryer to cook pakoras as a healthier alternative to deep frying; preheat to 400°F and spray oil on fritters for softer texture.
  • Kadhi thickness increases as it cools; thin with water when reheating as needed.

Nutrition Information

Calories 315kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 11g (22%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 45mg (15%) Sodium 1082mg (45%) Potassium 585mg (12%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 13g (26%) Vitamin A 613IU (12%) Vitamin C 93mg (103%) Calcium 207mg (21%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 315

% Daily Value*

Calories 315kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Protein 11g 22%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 45mg 15%
Sodium 1082mg 45%
Potassium 585mg 12%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 13g 26%
Vitamin A 613IU 12%
Vitamin C 93mg 103%
Calcium 207mg 21%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.