The Best Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Recipe

Punjabi Kadhi pakora is probably one of the most famous north Indian Dishes. And today I am sharing punjabi kadhi pakora recipe, which is my absolute favourite.

Punjabi kadhi or also known as Rajasthani kadhi or simply besan kadhi is made with besan or chickpea flour (gram flour) and yougurt base, tempered with fenugreek seeds and spices.

And deep fried fritters are then dunked in the yogurt and gram flour based curry to give it an extra layer of flavour and texture.

I am sharing this super simple and easy way to make the best Punjabi Kadhi pakora recipe at home.

I have always been a huge kadhi fan. It is that one thing that everyone in my family absolutely loves. Kadhi pakora or simply kadhi chawal(rice) has been our go to Sunday lunch, especially in the summers.

I started making it as a Sunday brunch when I got married and it has sort of become a tradition in our household now. So much so that I can’t imagine going a full week without it.

There is no one way to make kadhi. Punjabi kadhi has onion fritters and is a bit thicker, while the Gujrati kadhi is a little runnier and tastes a bit sweet.

You could also add lots of vegetables and even spinach to it, as they do in some southern parts of India.

But today, I am sharing the Punjabi kadhi pakora version, because it is my absolute favourite and it’s the one we usually make at our home.

Pubjabi style kadhi pakora tastes a bit tangy because it uses sour curd or yogurt and that’s exactly how I like it and I am sure you will love this super simple and flavourful kadhi recipe too.

My mom often used to make the plain version of it, with no fritters. And that tastes amazing too.

Usually while cooking kadhi, not a whole lot of spices are added. The flavour comes simply by cooking besan or chickpea flour in a yougurt base on a low flame.

The punjabi style kadhi Pakora recipe:

• Uses sour curd that gives it a tangy flavour.
• Has fritters usually made with onions.
• Is spicy and super flavourful.
• Is perfect to meal prep and have the next day as well.
• Is perfect for the quintessential Delhi Sunday brunch.

The base of Punjabi kadhi is made with two simple ingredients:

• Besan or Gram flour/chickpea flour: Make sure you use fine ground flour and not the coarse one, if you want a super creamy kadhi.

• Yogurt or curd: It’s best if you use sour curd because it gives the kadhi a really nice tangy flavour. I often use curd that a few days old. If you only have fresh curd, leave it out of the refrigerator for a few hours and that should do the trick. I also always use skimmed milk for curd, because I don’t like the taste of full fat milk curd. But that’s totally a personal preference.

A few things to keep in mind while making this punjabi kadhi pakora recipe:

I have been making kadhi pakora for so many years now and there are a few things I have learned along the way. Here is everything you need to keep in mind while making kadhi:

1: Start with more water: Kadhi gets its name from “kaadhna” which means cooking on a low heat for a long time. And because kadhi needs to simmer for a long time (anywhere between 20-30 minutes) to develop the flavours and the creamy texture, you should start with a lot of water.

I usually use about 2 litres of water for about 1/2 cup of besan. And although it might seem like a lot, don’t worry, it gets evaporated. Of course you can add more water as you are cooking as well, but I like to put my kadhi for simmer, set a timer and forget about it.

2. Use Desi ghee or mustard oil for cooking: I usually prefer using mustard oil as it gives the kadhi a very nice pungent aromatic flavour. but I know not everyone likes to use mustard oil because it has a very strong peculiar taste. If you do not like using mustard oil, make kadhi in desi ghee. However, if you are willing to try something different, take my word and give mustard oil a try, you won’t regret it.

3. Add onions to the pakora or to the Kadhi: My mom has always made pakora using very simple ingredients aka besan, water, salt, turmeric and some red chilli. And that tastes amazing. However, if you want a bit more crunch and flavour in your pakoras, I highly recommend adding onions and a few other spices to the fritters. They taste heavenly.

If you like the texture of plain pakoras, you can also add raw onions to the kadhi as it simmers. They get cooked really nicely with the kadhi and gives amazing taste as well. It’s a matter of personal preference. However, if this is your first time making kadhi pakora, I highly recommend adding onions to the fritters and not the kadhi.

4. Do not use baking soda in Pakoras: I have seen some people add baking sodas to the pakora mixture to make fluffy pakoras, but that’s completely avoidable. I find that baking soda makes the pakoras a bit orangish in color and gives them a citrusy taste, which is not the best.

But, if you still want to make fluffy pakoras, make sure to mix the pakora batter at least 15-20 minutes before frying them. This results in fluffy pakoras, without having to use baking soda.

You can also soak the pakoras in water for about 10-15 seconds before adding them to the kadhi. This will make them even softer and get rid of all the extra oil. Just make sure to gently squeeze them between your palms before adding them to the kadhi to get rid of excess water.

5. Add salt when it comes to a boil: Adding salt at the very beginning can result in the kadhi splitting. So to avoid that, it’s best to add salt when the kadhi comes to a boil. i also find that adding salt later during the cooking process works best because kadhi gets reduced in quantity and you’d have a better idea of how much salt you need to add according to taste.

6. Use Desi Ghee for tadka: The final tadka is everything when it comes to making the best punjabi kadhi pakora. It adds a really nice flavours and lifts the whole dish up. Make sure to sue desi ghee for it as it gives a really nice aromatic flavour to the kadhi.

How to prevent kadhi from splitting

There is nothing worse than kadhi splitting or separating while cooking. But here’s what you should do to avoid kadhi from splitting:

Whisk curd and Besan well: Before adding the curd and besan mixture to the pot, I make sure to whisk it really well. And also add a lot of water to it. This will prevent kadhi from splitting. I usually start with small amount of water while making the mixture because that avoids the formation of lumps in kadhi. And then gradually add more water to it to make a runny mixture.

Use curd that is at room temperature: One of the best tips to avoid kadhi from splitting is to use curd that’s at room temperature. If you have it in your fridge, make sure to bring it out for about 2 hours before you make kadhi.

Add salt later: adding salt after the kadhi comes to a boil also helps to avoid splitting. Although if you mix everything really well, you wouldn’t have that problem.

Keep stirring: I know I said i like to set a timer and forget about the kadhi and let it simmer, but you need to stir at regular intervals until it comes to a first boil. After that you can set a timer and forget about it.

How to make Kadhi Pakora:

To make the kadhi:

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1. In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup besan or gram flour and 1.5 cups curd or yogurt.
2. Whisk everything together until it is well combined. Make sure the yogurt is at room temperature and there are no lumps.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder and a handful of methi or fenugreek seeds.
4. Add 6 cups of water and again whisk everything well and make sure there are no lumps.
5. In a deep pot, add 2 tablespoons of ghee or mustard oil and let it come to a medium heat. Mustard oil gives kadhi a really nice flavour, so do give it a try.
6. Once the oil or ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
7. Next, add a pinch or two of asofetida powder or hing and immediately add the besan, curd and water mix to the pot.
8. To the pot, add finely chopped green chillies and thinly sliced onions (if you want onions in your kadhi). I usually make kadhi pakora without onions in kadhi. I like adding the onions to the fritters or pakoras instead.
9. Stir continuously as the kadhi comes to a boil and then let it simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes.
10. Add salt as per taste when the kadhi has come to a boil.

To make the pakoras:

While the kadhi is simmering, let’s make the pakoras.

11. In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup besan or gram flour along with 2-3 medium sized finely sliced onions, salt, turmeric powder, a pinch of asofetida powder or hing, 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon dried kasoori methi leaves. Kasoori methi leaves are optional but they add a really nice flavour to the pakoras.

12. Add water in small quantities to make the pakora batter. The batter shouldn’t be too runny or else the pakoras will separate when you put them in oil. It shouldn’t be too hard either otherwise the pakoras won’t turn out to be soft.

They key is the consistency of the batter and it’s probably going to take you a bit of a trial and error, but I generally add about 1/4 th cup of water for 1 cup of besan.

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13. In a pan, heat oil on a medium flame. And while the oil heats set the batter aside and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This will help in making fluffy and soft pakoras.

If you’d like to add a crunch to the pakoras and a different texture, then I highly recommend frying them on a low heat and not soaking them in water before adding to the kadhi.

14. When the oil is hot start dropping the pakora batter in the oil. I use my hand to take a scoop between my thumb and fingers and sump it gently in the oil.

15.Cook the pakoras on a medium flame until they turn golden brown. Make sure to cook evenly from all sides. This will allow them to cook nicely from the inside as well. Drain them on a napkin or kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.

16. After 20-25 minutes, kadhi will have cooked and thickened. Taste to make sure there is no raw besan taste to it.

17. Dunk the pakoras in the kadhi and let it simmer for about 5 more minutes.

18. In a small tadka pan, take 1 tablespoon Desi ghee. Let it get hot and then add small mustard seeds. Let them splutter.

19. Next add 1-2 whole red chillies. and let them crackle.Then add about 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder and take off the heat immediately and pour over the kadhi.

20. Garnish with cilantro or serve as is with rice.

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