Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

A bowl of warm kadhi pakora with steamed rice (aka kadhi chawal) is the ultimate comfort food! This Punjabi kadhi recipe is authentic, easy to make and so satisfyingly delicious. 

Here crispy, deep-fried onion pakora are added into creamy, thick, slightly tangy yogurt gravy (aka kadhi). The ghee-tadka on top will enhance the flavor of this kadhi pakora even more.  

What Is Kadhi Pakora? 

Kadhi pakora recipe is popular in North India (including Punjab, and Delhi) as well as in Pakistan. 

The term ‘kadhi’ comes from the word ‘Kadhna’ meaning slow cook. Yes, this Punjabi kadhi is slow-cooked for at least 30 minutes. 

This kadhi (gravy or sauce) is made from sour yogurt (or leftover buttermilk) and besan along with some spices. The spices may vary depending on the region. There are many kadhi varieties such as Gujarati kadhi, Sindhi kadhi, Maharashtrian kadhi, Rajasthani kadhi, etc. 

For pakora, every household has its own version of making it. It is nothing but deep-fried fritters made from besan, spices, and onion or other vegetables. Here I have made these pakoras with onion and spinach. Some add methi leaves or potatoes. Some would skip making pakora completely and add ready-made boondi as a shortcut. 

These pakoras are added into the kadhi and it’s called kadhi pakora. Finally, a tempering of ghee with red chili powder is added on top. 

• Taste: Medium spicy, slightly tangy kadhi with rich flavors.
• Texture:
  • Kadhi has a thick, creamy texture while pakora can be crispy or soft as per your liking preference. 
  • Want crispy pakora? Add them into kadhi right before serving.
  • Want soft pakora? Add hot pakora, straight from frying kadai to simmering kadhi. It gives you a soft, melt-in-your-mouth kind texture.

❤️ You’ll Love This Kadhi Pakora Recipe

• Taste comforting, home-style just like grandma or mom made it.
• Tastes even better the next day.
• Makes a healthy, filling meal when served with rice or paratha.
• Easy to make (the whole process is divided into three parts – Make kadhi, Make pakora, Mix & add tempering).
• Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Gluten-free

🧾 Ingredient Notes For Punjabi Kadhi Recipe

Here is a pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make Punjabi Kadhi Recipe.

For Punjabi Kadhi:

• Yogurt: 
  • It must be sour yogurt to get the best taste.
  • I recommend using full-fat whole milk yogurt to get the best creamy, rich texture. Low-fat or fat-free yogurt works too but you need to increase the amount of besan to thicken the kadhi.
  • You can use leftover buttermilk (Chaas or salted lassi) to make this kadhi pakora recipe.
• Besan (gram flour): It binds the yogurt and helps to thicken the kadhi.
• Mustard oil: To get the authentic taste, mustard oil is used. But if you don’t like its pungent taste then you can use any regular cooking oil.
  • FYI, mustard oil is banned in the USA. So whatever you find in an Indian grocery store has a label saying ‘External use only’. But not to worry those are safe to consume. 
• Coriander seeds: These are crushed coarsely using a mortar and pestle. This adds a nice aromatic flavor. It’s an extra step but worth it, so please do not skip it.
• Ginger Garlic: North Indian dishes are heavy on ginger garlic. So you’ll need a good amount. You can crush them freshly as I did in a wet jar of my spice grinder. Or simply use readymade paste.

Here is a pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make pakora and tempering. 

For Pakora:

• Besan: It is the base of the pakora batter.
• Onion: Sliced or chopped red onions can be used. 
• Spinach: It is optional, you can use a handful of methi leaves or cilantro instead. Or skip the greens entirely.
• Green chilies: If kids don’t want to bite into green chilies then skip it. Or reduce the amount. 

For Tempering:

• Ghee: Yes, you must use ghee, as it adds a nice flavor.
• Red chili powder: I have used regular chili powder. But you can use Kashmiri red chili powder to make it less spicy. 

👩‍🍳 How To Make Punjabi Kadhi Pakora? (Pics)

Making Kadhi:

1) Take yogurt and besan in a large bowl. 

2) Whisk it until it is smooth and lump-free.

3, 4) Add around 2 cups of water and whisk again to mix well. 

Note: At this moment, if you see it has besan lumps then use a hand blender to make it smooth.

5) Heat the mustard oil in a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Once hot add methi seeds and saute for 30-40 seconds or until they get a slight golden color.

6) Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cumin seeds and crushed coriander seeds. 

7) Mix and saute for 40-50 seconds or until spices are aromatic and get a slight color change.

8) Add dried red chilies and hing. Mix and saute for 20-30 seconds only.

9) Add onion and ginger garlic paste. 

10) Cook until onions turn light pink or brown in color. By that time, there will be no raw smell of ginger garlic left.

11) Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder.

12) Mix, add around ¼ cup of water to avoid burning the spices, and saute for 1 minute.

13) Add the prepared yogurt-besan mixture and stir right away to avoid curdling.

14) Add the remaining 3 cups of water and mix.

15) Keep stirring to avoid curdling until the mixture comes to a simmer. Once it starts to simmer, no need to stir constantly.

16) Add salt and let it simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low heat. While Punjabi kadhi is simmering, let’s make pakora. 

Making Pakora:

1, 2) Take besan, salt, and spices (crushed coriander seeds, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and baking soda) in a bowl. Mix with a spoon.

3) Add sliced onion, chopped spinach, ginger garlic paste, and green chili. 

4) Mix well so the besan mixture is coated with veggies.

5, 6) Add little water at a time and keep mixing until you get a super thick mixture. (Notice that thick besan batter is coated with veggies).

7) Let it rest for 10 minutes. You can see after resting, the onion will leave its water. Mix everything really well and the batter got slightly thinner compared to earlier.

8) Heat the oil in a kadai for deep-frying on medium heat. Once the oil is hot enough for frying, take around 2 tablespoons of mixture on your four fingers.

9) Slide this mixture from your fingers by pushing it using a thumb gently into the hot oil. I have done it using my hand, you can use two large spoons to drop the batter. 

10) Repeat this until the pan is full.

11) Halfway through flip the pakora for even browning.

12) Once golden brown from both sides, remove the pakora using a slotted spoon. 

Now you have 2 options: Keep this fried pakora on a plate and add to kadhi at the time of serving to keep them crispy. Or Add into the simmering kadhi right away to get soft pakora.

13) Now kadhi has thickened nicely after simmering for 30 minutes.

14) I like soft pakora, so I have added it here into simmering kadhi. 

15, 16) Crush kasoori methi between your palm and add it to the kadhi. Mix well.

Making Tempering:

17, 18) Heat the ghee in a small tadka pan on medium heat. Once hot turn off the stove and add red chili powder, mix.

19) Right away drizzle over kadhi pakora. Don’t wait too long otherwise chili powder in tadka will burn, becomes black and you may start sneezing. 

20) Lastly, garnish it with freshly chopped cilantro and serve. Keep in mind that kadhi will thicken as it cools down.

💭 Expert Tips To Make BEST Kadhi Pakora

• Slow simmering the Punjabi kadhi is so crucial to get a deep flavor. Also, the turmeric powder gives a nice, bright yellow color as it cooks. Also, during this simmering time, kadhi will thicken nicely.
• If kadhi thickens too much during the simmering process, then add warm water to adjust the consistency. 
• How make your yogurt sour? Remove the required amount of yogurt in a bowl from the fridge. Leave it on a countertop at room temperature for 4-6 hours. This time may vary depending on the climate where you live. In a warmer climate, it gets sour in a couple of hours. In colder climates, I usually leave it out overnight or bring it out in the morning to make kadhi pakora for dinner.
• You need to stir the kadhi mixture constantly until starts simmering to avoid curdling or separating yogurt. Once it starts simmering, you don’t have to stir.
• Curry leaves: This kadhi pakora recipe was originally shared in Dec, 2014 and I have used curry leaves in that as I like it’s flavor and aroma in my kadhi pakora recipe. But so many of you commented that authentic Punjabi kadhi doesn’t have curry leaves. So I have not added this time.
• Punjabi Kadhi without pakora: If you’re in a rush or don’t want to make pakora then increase the amount of onion 3 times in the kadhi itself. Then add ready-made boondi instead of pakora.

🥣 Storage Instructions

• Punjabi kadhi pakora tastes better the next day as all the flavors have time to mingle. 
• Kadhi will thicken as it cools down and thickens even more after storing in the refrigerator. So the reheating time, you may need to add a splash of water to adjust the consistency. 
• Pakora added kadhi will thicken even more as pakora will soak up so much liquid. Also, pakora will get super-super soft, and at the time of reheating pakora may get break. But altogether it will taste super yummy.
• Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
• If made a large batch of kadhi pakora as a purpose for storing for a next day lunch, or dinner then I would suggest storing kadhi and pakora separately. Reheat the pakora in airfryer (370F for 3-4 minutes) and add to reheated kadhi and serve. 

🍽 Serving Ideas For Punajbi Kadhi Pakora

• Kadhi pakora is usually served with steamed rice as a combo meal called ‘kadhi chawal’. Roasted papad, lachha pyaaz, or pickle are served on the side. This makes a filling, comforting meal.
• Kadhi pakora can be served with roti or paratha if you don’t prefer rice.

Did you try this Punajbi Kadhi Pakora recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.