Kadhi Recipe (Punjabi Kadhi Pakora)
User Reviews
4.9
255 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
40 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Servings
5
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Calories
315 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Kadhi Recipe (Punjabi Kadhi Pakora)
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Kadhi Pakora is a Punjabi yogurt-based curry thickened with gram flour and studded with spiced onion fritters (pakoras). The dish balances sour curd and aromatic spices like turmeric, cumin, and asafoetida. The pakoras provide textural contrast within the tangy, savory kadhi sauce, creating a comforting, layered flavor profile.
Description
This recipe starts by mixing sour full-fat curd with gram flour and spices to create a smooth, lump-free base. The curry is tempered with a seasoning of cumin, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida cooked in mustard oil, which adds pungency and warmth. Onion pakoras are prepared separately using a spiced gram flour batter with thinly sliced onions and carom seeds, then fried or optionally baked until golden.
The pakoras are typically added to the kadhi near serving time to maintain a desirable texture. Adding them too early causes them to become overly soft and mushy, which some may find unpleasant. Mustard oil contributes distinctive flavor but can be substituted with neutral oils if unavailable. The kadhi froths during cooking and needs a large pot to prevent overflow.
This dish is traditionally served as part of Punjabi meals and provides a hearty, tangy accompaniment often enjoyed with rice or roti.
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Ingredients
For curd slurry
- 1.5 cups sour curd (full fat) or sour yogurt, 375 grams
- 3 cups water or add as required
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 to 1.5 teaspoon salt or add as required
- 8 tablespoon gram flour (besan), 40 grams
For onion pakora
- 1 cup onion tightly packed) or 2 medium to large onions or 150 grams, thinly sliced
- 1 cup besan (gram flour)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- ⅔ to ¾ teaspoon salt or add as required
- ¼ cup water or add as required
- mustard oil or sunflower oil or any neutral oil - for shallow frying or deep frying
For kadhi
- ⅓ cup onion or 1 small to medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger chopped
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon garlic chopped
- 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 2 green chili chopped or 1 teaspoon serrano peppers
- 2 dried red chilies broken and seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida hing
- 8 to 10 curry leaves or 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil or sunflower oil or any neutral oil
Instructions
Making curd slurry
- In a bowl take the sour curd and whisk it well till smooth
- Add gram flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt to the whisked curd.
- Stir and mix everything again.
- Add 3 cups water and stir again.
- Stir very well to make a smooth mixture without lumps. If there are lumps, then break them with a wired whisk or a spatula or with your fingers. Set the curd slurry aside.
- You can use a blender to make this mixture, but make sure you don’t over do it. You will get butter instead of a smooth blended curd.
Making pakora for kadhi
- Take the gram flour in a bowl and add carom seeds, red chili powder, garam masala powder and salt.
- Add 1 cup thinly sliced onions.
- Mix everything well and set aside covered for 30 minutes.
- This will allow the onions to release their water in the mixture. Depending on the water content in the onions, the mixture will become very moist or just about moist.
- Then accordingly add water as required to make a thick batter. I added ¼ cup water.
- Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. Let the oil become medium hot. Then with a spoon carefully drop the pakora batter in the oil.
- When the pakora are partly cooked, then turn over and fry the other side.
- Fry till the pakora are crisp and golden.
- Remove the fried pakora and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. Fry the pakora in batches this way. When done set all of them aside.
Making kadhi
- In another pan or kadai, heat mustard oil. Make sure to use a large bottomed pot so that while boiling, the kadhi does not spill.
- Add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Allow the cumin seeds to crackle and the fenugreek seeds to change their color. Fry on a low flame, so that these spices do not get burnt.
- Add chopped onions. Stir and sauté for 3 minutes on a low to medium-low heat.
- Then add chopped ginger, chopped garlic and chopped green chillies. Stir and sauté for a minute.
- Now add curry leaves, dry red chilies (halved or broken and seeds removed). Stir and sauté for a minute on a low flame.
- Then add the curd slurry.
- Stir very well.
- Increase the flame to medium and bring the kadhi to a boil. Keep on stirring often so that the bottom does not get browned. Time taken to cook kadhi will be around 14 to 16 minutes.
- After the kadhi has come to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for more 6 to 7 minutes. The kadhi will thicken.
- If the kadhi becomes too thick, then add some hot water.
Making kadhi pakora
- Now add the onion pakora to the kadhi and stir gently.
- Cover with a lid and let the onion pakora be soaked in it for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Lastly sprinkle some garam masala powder.
- Serve kadhi pakora with steamed rice or cumin rice, topped with few teaspoonfuls of ghee. You could also have kadhi with roti or paratha.
Notes
- Use full-fat sour curd to achieve the classic tangy flavor; if not sour, let it sit at room temperature or add amchur powder or lemon juice.
- Prefer mustard oil for frying and cooking to get authentic sharpness, or substitute neutral oils like sunflower oil if needed.
- Pakoras can be baked instead of fried by adjusting oil and baking at 180°C until crisp.
- Add pakoras to the kadhi just before serving to keep them from becoming too soft.
- Use a large pot when cooking kadhi to accommodate frothing and prevent spills.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
315kcal
(16%)
Carbohydrates
27g
(9%)
Protein
10g
(20%)
Fat
19g
(29%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
10mg
(3%)
Sodium
905mg
(38%)
Potassium
424mg
(9%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
9g
(18%)
Vitamin A
305IU
(6%)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
18mg
Vitamin B6
1mg
Vitamin B12
1µg
(42%)
Vitamin C
38mg
(42%)
Vitamin D
1µg
(5%)
Vitamin E
1mg
Vitamin K
1µg
Calcium
117mg
(12%)
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
202µg
Iron
9mg
(50%)
Magnesium
18mg
(5%)
Phosphorus
86mg
Zinc
1mg
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 5Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 315 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 315kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 10g | 20% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 10mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 905mg | 38% |
| Potassium | 424mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 305IU | 6% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 18mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B12 | 1µg | 42% |
| Vitamin C | 38mg | 42% |
| Vitamin D | 1µg | 5% |
| Vitamin E | 1mg | |
| Vitamin K | 1µg | |
| Calcium | 117mg | 12% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 202µg | |
| Iron | 9mg | 50% |
| Magnesium | 18mg | 5% |
| Phosphorus | 86mg | |
| Zinc | 1mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
255 reviews
Excellent
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