Classic Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Recipe
Kadhi Pakora is a hearty North Indian dish made with spiced gram flour fritters simmered in a tangy yogurt-based curry and slow-cooked to velvety perfection. With plain rice or rotis, it makes for a soul-warming meal.
Ingredients
For Yogurt Mixture
- 2 cup(408g) plain yogurt dahi
- ⅓ cup(41g) besan gram flour
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (hot), adjust to taste
- 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
- 6-8 cup water room temperature (or as needed)
For Kadhi
- 3 tablespoon mustard oil
- ½ teaspoon hing asafoetida
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
- ¾ tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 small onion sliced
- 2 green chillies slit (hot), adjust to taste
- 1+¼ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves garnish
Whole Spices for Tempering Kadhi
- 2-3 dry kashmiri chillies broken, stems removed
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi dana
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 black peppercorn
- 1+¼ teaspoon coriander seeds coarsely crushed
- ⅛ teaspoon ajwain seeds carrom seeds
For Pakoras
- 1 cup (100g) besan
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (medium hot), I use deggi mirch
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon chaat masala powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi dry fenugreek leaves, crushed between palms
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 small (110g) onion medium sliced
- 1 small (110g) potato peeled, small diced
- 2-3 green chillies (hot!) chopped, adjust to taste
- ¼ cup water or as needed
- Mustard Oil for deep frying or any frying oil
Final Tempering
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi dry fenugreek leaves, crushed between palms
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
Instructions
Make the yogurt and besan mixture
- In a large mixing bowl, add the yogurt and using a metal whisk, mix it until smooth. Sieve the gram flour (besan) over the whisked yogurt. Add all the ground spices. Do not add salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Then, gradually add 6 cups of room temperature(important) water while whisking to create a thin, pourable mixture. The consistency should be similar to milk. Add 1-2 cup water as needed while simmering, as kadhi will slow cook for 30-35 minutes.
Make The Kadhi
- In a deep pot (4qt or larger) or a large kadai, heat up mustard oil over medium heat till it's lightly smoky with visible see ripples on surface. Don’t overheat else it will lose its aroma.
- Reduce stove to low medium. Add whole spices, dried red chilies(broken), and asafoetida (hing). Also add the chopped ginger, green chillies, garlic and sliced onions. Stir and fry the spices and aromatics in hot oil for 15-20 seconds or until aromatic(don't let brown).Note - If you enjoy the flavor of fresh curry leaves, feel free to add them at this stage. You can also add mustard seeds if desired.
- Turn heat to the lowest setting and let temperature drop slightly. Slowly pour in the yogurt-besan mixture while stirring constantly. You can also remove the pot briefly from stove and return after kadhi mixture has been added. Now, prepare for bit of arm workout because we will continously stir for first 10–12 minutes or until the kadhi comes to a boil. Once the yogurt is warmed through, you can turn the heat up to low medium. Keep stirring until the kadhi comes to a gentle boil. This step is super important to prevent yogurt from curdling.
- After first boil reduce the stove to low and now set the kadhi to slow boil (a process called kadhana). Add 1 teaspoon salt, mix well and let the kadhi simmer uncovered for 30–40 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking, and allow the kadhi to thicken and to develop its tangy flavor. At the end you will see that the kadhi is deep golden yellow in color.
Make Aloo Pyaz Pakoras
- While the kadhi is boiling, it's the perfect time to start preparing the pakoras. Making them fresh keeps them crispy. In a separate large bowl, sift in the besan. Add salt, spices, kasuri methi, baking soda, and mix in the diced potatoes, green chillies and sliced onions.
- At first, mix everything (while gently squishing) without adding water as salt will draw out moisture from onions. The goal isnt a wet batter, rather a thick mixture which should not feel tight or too soft(please see images in post). Add tiny splashes of water as needed to adjust consistency.
- No resting necessary, fry the pakoras immediately. Heat up about 2-3 inches of oil for deep frying pakoras. Once the oil is hot, test it by dropping a small bit of batter—it should sizzle and rise to the surface. On candy thermometer,right temperature should be between 360F -370F to make sure that the pakoras neither burn nor remain raw inside.
- Carefully drop 1 to 1.5 tablespoon of pakora mixture into the hot oil. Smaller pakoras, they turn out crispier. A cookie scoop works, I simply use my hands(scoop with four fingers, slide with thumb). Let them fry undisturbed for few minutes and then flip to fry on other side.
- Fry pakoras in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp on all sides. I prefer frying in mustard oil because my mom does the same(try it!). The flavor is deep! But you can use any oil that you use for frying in your home. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a cookie rack or a colander(makes them stay crisp).
Final Tadka and Assembly
- By now, your kadhi should have fully cooked. Check the consistency and if it feels thick to you, add water. Also, taste and adjust salt level.
- Save a few(to add on top while serving) and add rest of the pakoras to the boiled kadhi. Transfer the kadhi pakora to the serving bowl. As soon as you add pakoras to kadhi, they will soften. If you want to serve kadhi later, store the pakoras seperately.
- In a small pan, make the tadka. Heat up ghee. To the hot ghee, add the cumin seeds and chopped ginger. Let cumin seeds crisp up(should not burn). Take off the stove, wait for 10-20 seconds and then mix in the red chilli powder and kasuri methi.
- Pour the tadka on top of kadhi pakora. Scatter the chopped cilantro leaves and serve with plain rice or rotis.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!