Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Recipe

This classic Punjabi-style kadhi recipe is easy to follow yet offers a home-cooked taste. If you are new to kadhi, you will love this detailed and foolproof recipe. Includes Instant Pot and stovetop instructions!

Kadhi or Karhi is a vegetarian stew made from besan (gram flour) and yogurt. In this Punjabi version, vegetable pakoras are dipped in yogurt sauce and served as adorable dumplings. Pakora Kadhi is almost always topped off with a spice-infused Tarka, or tempera, as it is often served with basmati rice.

kadi pakoda is not as rich as other Pakistani or Indian vegetarian curries, but it will stay with you once you have eaten a good kadhi. It is earthy and acidic, creamy and light, warm and light. Pure desi comfort food.

What Things Make A Great Kadhi

Cook on low heat for a longer time. The flavor and color deepen significantly as it boils and reduces. Yes, that means you have to be patient, but when you're using a nonstick pan, it's primarily passive patience.
Great yogurt. Almost a given, but the yogurt affects the final taste of the kadhi. All the different yogurts I have tried have resulted in slightly different-tasting kadhis. My mother-in-law prefers sour yogurt and often makes kadhi to consume homemade sour yogurt. Lately, she's been loving how she tastes with European yogurt, which is a bit more runny and acidic.
great taste. Brown the onions, let the spices bloom, and season with enough salt. All of this and more adds to the depth of flavor in this recipe.

Ingredients For Kadhi Pakora

Kadhi Gravy

Yogurt: Use plain yogurt made with whole milk. Greek yogurt can curdle more easily due to the higher protein content. And low-fat/reduced-fat doesn't have enough fat to shield the protein from the heat.
Chickpea Flour (Besan): A nutty, earthy, gluten-free flour made from dried chana dal. Not to be confused with chickpea flour, which is made from chickpeas. Besan is readily available in Indian and Pakistani grocery stores, but can also be found in many American supermarkets.

Pakora

Baking Soda – Helps fluff up the pakoras, allowing them to soak up the sauce better.
Green chile: I prefer serrano here (less spicy with more), but Thai chiles (bird's eye) work well too. Be generous with the chilies, as they add a lot of flavor and a mild heat to the pakoras.
Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Sukhi Methi): Adds earthy flavor and aroma. Also essential in recipes such as Mixed Vegetable Curry, Butter Chicken and Sarson Ka Saag.
Potatoes: I use small red potatoes, but any starchy, quick-cooking potato will work.

Tarka (Sizzle/Tempering Of Spices)

Whole Dried Chilies: I use dried chilies, but any kind of dried red chilies will work. If you can't find any, try whole green chiles and/or red chile flakes.
Ghee (secondary butter) or oil - More than 2 tablespoons and ghee can become overwhelming. I like to mix both for the liquid and the flavor.

How To Make Kadhi?

The full recipe can be found on the recipe card, but here are some tips that may help:

Combine the besan and yogurt and beat until smooth. The combination of these two helps them dissolve easily in water. Add water and beat again. Put aside.
Sauté the onion until browned, then add the ginger and garlic. In Kadhi Pakora Recipe Add spices and simmer for 15-20 seconds. If you find the spices sticking to the bottom of the pot, add a splash of water to prevent burning.
Pour in the yogurt mixture, stirring frequently until it comes to a boil. Frequent stirring will help prevent the yogurt from curdling.
Tip for Instant Pot users: To avoid the dreaded burn mark, make sure the mixture is brought to a boil before closing the pressure cook lid.
Once it boils, reduce the heat and you'll be good to go for a while. recipe kadhi pakora will simmer.

My Mom Tips

When the pakora kadhi recipe is half cooked, start the pakoras.
Be sure to quarter the potatoes (although the pictures show them cut in half) and slice them thin so they cook through when roasted.
Frying tip: Keep the oil on medium heat (160°C) to give the pakoras enough time to puff up, cook on the inside and brown on the outside.
Oil in it: You know the kadhi is cooked when the oil separates from the kadhi and rises to the top. The Instant Pot makes this easy to see, but you can also see it on the stovetop when you stop stirring. You can cook it longer afterward, but don't stop cooking until the oil rises to the surface.