Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

Do you have some leftover yogurt or spinach in your fridge that you want to use? Then here comes a no-fail, Punjabi Kadhi pakora recipe that’s studded with spinach pakoras and some perfectly intense onion-garlic tadka – downright flavorful and addictive. 

What is Kadhi Pakora?

For those unfamiliar with this term, Kadhi actually signifies ‘kadhna‘ – which means slow-cooked curry, and pakora means gram-flour fritters.

Collectively it stands for – A creamy soup-like curry studded with gram flour fritters. Punjabi Kadi pakora is a popular comfort food of North India. 

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora is a three-step recipe – 

• Prepare the yogurt-based curry.
• Make spinach pakoras (fritters). These fritters are immersed in the yogurt-based curry, and
• Lastly, it’s garnished with an unbelievably delicious tempering. 

The secret to Making Kadhi

The secret of Kadhi lies in the long, slow cooking process of yogurt-based curry for an extended period of time. This long-simmering lends the Punjabi kadhi –

• Its amazing velvety smooth texture,
• A rich sunshine-yellow color, 
• A wonderful depth of flavor, and
• Makes it incredibly creamy and yummy.

The end flavor is so good that your taste buds will thank you for this scrumptious Kadhi!

Variations of Kadhi

Every state in India has its own version of Kadhi, and each one is unique and different from the other in terms of flavor and consistency. 

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora – belongs to the North, it has a thick consistency and is always served with pakoras dunked in the kadhi. This kadhi is shared in the post today. 

Gujarati Kadhi – is a preparation of sweet and slightly sour curd. It has a thin consistency and has no pakoras or vegetables added to it. 

Maharashtrian Kadhi – also known as Takachi Kadhi, is the buttermilk Kadhi made without pakoras. 

Sindhi Kadhi – made with lots of vegetables, and tamarind pulp is added for sourness.

Rajasthani Kadhi- also known as Khatta, is made with sour curd and has a very thin consistency. 

Ingredients for Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

» Yogurt – This is the key ingredient in Kadhi. For a creamy texture, I have used full-fat yogurt to make kadhi. However, low-fat yogurt will work too. You want to be sure that it is at room temperature.

» Besan (chickpea flour) – This is the second key ingredient for Kadhi. A small amount of besan is added to the yogurt to create a smooth and lump-free batter. 

» Water – to dilute the kadhi. 

» Spices – turmeric, salt, Asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, dried red chilies, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin seeds add exciting flavors, earthy, and warm taste to our Kadhi pakora. 

» Onion and Garlic – the essentials that require just a few minutes of sauteeing but infuse our Punjabi Kadhi with so much flavor.

» Green chili – sometimes all you need is a little bit of heat to spice things up. A small chopped green chili will go a long way. But if you are not a spice lover, feel free to adjust the spice level according to your liking. 

» Oil – used for tempering. You can use ghee too. 

» Spinach – the addition of spinach to the pakoras ( fritters) take it to a whole new level. Not a spinach fan, omit the spinach leaves and continue with the remaining ingredients. If leaving our spinach, increase the quantity of besan by 1 tablespoon. In the absence of spinach, extra besan will bind the kadhi well. 

» Fresh cilantro leaves – as a garnish, but it will enhance both the flavor and smell of the Kadhi. 

How to make Punjabi Kadhi Pakora?

STEP:1 – PREPARE THE BASE

1. Combine yogurt and besan in a large mixing bowl. 

2. Whisk the two until it forms a lump-free and smooth batter. Add 5 cups of water and mix until combined. 

3. Add salt and turmeric to this yogurt mixture. 

4. Whisk again until smooth. Set aside. 

5. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Once hot, add asafoetida (hing), methi dana ( fenugreek seeds), rai ( mustard seeds), and dried red chilies. 

6. Mix the spices. Maintain the heat at the medium-low setting. When the seeds start to crackle and become light brown, stir in the yogurt mixture. 

7. Give the yogurt mixture a good stir. Allow the Kadhi to simmer for 30-40 minutes at low heat. Keep stirring at regular intervals to prevent it from sticking and burning.  

8. The Kadhi will thicken and deepen in color as it simmers. Adjust the water if the kadhi becomes thick. Add 1/4 cup of water at a time. 

STEP:2- MAKE PAKORAS/FRITTERS

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

9. Take a mixing bowl and combine sliced onions and chopped spinach. 

10. Add besan, green chilies, red chili powder, salt, and mix it well. 

11. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes. During this rest period, onions will release some water. 

12. Now, add water and make a thick batter. Add water slowly as we need a thick batter. 

13. Heat oil in a kadhai over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, take 2 tablespoons of oil and add it to the pakora batter. Beat the batter until combined. This will result in a light and fluffy pakoras. Carefully drop the pakoras in hot oil. 

14. Fry the pakoras on medium heat- once they start to brown, flip and cook on the other side until evenly brown. 

15. Once done, remove from oil and set on a paper towel to drain excess oil. 

16. Repeat the process until all the batter has been used. Set aside. 

17. Add the pakoras to the simmering kadhi. 

18. Bring the Kadhi to a boil. 

19. Give it a gentle stir. 

20. Cover the pan and allow the kadhi to simmer for 8-10 minutes. This way, the pakoras will soak in all the flavors and become soft. 

STEP:3 – FINAL TEMPERING

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

21. Add oil to a pan. Once hot, add cumin seeds, and as the seeds start to crackle, add minced garlic to the pan. 

 22. Saute the garlic for a few minutes until the raw smell disappears. 

23. Add onions and give it a good mix. 

24. Cook the onions until translucent. Cook the tadka on medium-low heat as the onions may get burn. 

25. Add Kashmiri red chili powder. 

26. Give it a good stir. Cook for a few seconds, then remove the tadka from the heat. 

27. Drizzle the tadka over the kadhi. 

28. Add chopped cilantro leaves and mix to combine. Our Punjabi Kadi pakora is ready to be served. 

Recipe Tips to make the Best Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

» Leftover curd- Kadhi is a great way to use the leftover sour curd. I always prefer sour curd to make Punjabi Kadhi pakora as it lends a light tang to the flavor. 

» Sour curd – If you don’t have sour curd handy, you can either add 1/2 a teaspoon of Amchur powder ( dry mango powder) or a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the Kadhi to enhance the sourness. 

» For a creamy kadhi, always use full-fat yogurt. 

» Buttermilk – You can use buttermilk to make Kadhi. If using buttermilk, add an extra teaspoon of besan/ 1 cup of buttermilk. 

» To prevent curdling –

• Always use curd that is at room temperature, and
• Lower the heat and add the yogurt-besan mixture slowly to the fenugreek seeds and rai mix. High heat may cause the kadhi to curdle.  

» Make sure you use fine quality besan (gram flour) to make kadhi. 

» The besan ratio to curd in a Kadhi is 2:1- 2 tablespoons of besan for every 1 cup of yogurt. Adding too much besan will result in a thick and uncooked besan. 

» Homemade spinach pakoras can be swapped with store-bought boondi. Add the boondi at the least and serve immediately. Do not simmer kadhi after adding boondi, as it will disintegrate and become mushy. 

» Fenugreek seeds add a sweet, nutty flavor to the Punjabi Kadhi pakora. But if you don’t have a liking for fenugreek seeds, you can swap those for dried fenugreek leaves. If using dried fenugreek leaves ( kasoori methi), add it towards the end – just before adding the pakoras to the simmering kadhi. 

» Adjust consistency – The Kadhi will thicken and deepen in color as it simmers. Adjust the consistency if the kadhi becomes thick. Add 1/4 cup of water at a time.

» Simmering and stirring are two important steps in making a delicious Kadhi – Give plenty of time to the Kadhi to simmer long and slow. Slow cooking is what gives Punjabi Kadhi pakora its signature taste and flavor. And don’t forget to stir the Kadhi at regular intervals to avoid burning or sticking to the pan’s bottom.  

» For crispy pakoras – add less water to the batter. 

» While frying the pakoras – take 2 tablespoons of hot oil and add it to the pakora batter. The batter should sizzle, beat the oil into the batter until combined. This will result in a light and fluffy pakoras. If the batter doesn’t sizzle, that means the oil is not hot enough for pakoras.

» Always fry pakoras on medium heat. If the oil is not enough, the pakoras will absorb the oil. Likewise, don’t fry at a high heat because you may end up with raw or undercooked pakoras with a crispy, overcooked exterior.

» Feel free to substitute oil for ghee. Flavor-wise, ghee will add a nutty, buttery flavor. 

» Always cook the tadka on low heat as the onions and garlic may burn and taste bitter. 

Healthy Punjabi Kadhi with non-fried pakoras

If you prefer non-fried pakoras, you can cook the pakoras in an ebelskiever/paniyaram or appe pan on medium heat. Or you can cook the pakoras in an air fryer. 

To make the pakoras in an appe pan – 

• Grease and coat each cavity of the appe pan. 
• Add about a tablespoon of batter to each cavity. 
• Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat. 
• Once cooked from one side, drop some oil on the uncooked side and flip over.  
• Cook the other side until evenly brown and crispy. 
• Remove from pan and set aside. 

Can I make Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Vegan?

Absolutely! Substitute regular yogurt with a plant-based yogurt and you are all set. Rest everything is vegan in the recipe. 

Storage!

To store, transfer the cooled Kadi pakora to an airtight container and store. Leftover Punjabi Kadhi pakora can store for a day in the refrigerator. 

When ready to serve again, add  2-3 tablespoons of water to the cold Kadhi. Transfer the kadhi to a pan and reheat on the stovetop until it comes to a boil. Serve hot. 

Let Me Know What You Think!

That plate sure looks tempting, right? So what are we waiting for? Grab a spoon, and let’s dive in! 

Should you make Punjabi Kadi Pakora or any variation of it, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below. 

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.