Punjabi Kadhi Pakoraਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਕੜੀ ਪਕੌੜਾ

Name: Punjabi Kadhi Pakora
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Punjabi
Ingredients: 1 cup sour yogurt (at least 1 day old) — ਦਹੀ; ¼ cup + 3 tbsp (for pakoras) besan (chickpea flour) — ਬੇਸਣ; 3½ cups water; ½ tsp turmeric powder — ਹਲਦੀ; 1 tsp red chilli powder — ਲਾਲ ਮਿਰਚ; 2 medium onion, thinly sliced — ਪਿਆਜ਼; 2 green chilli, chopped; ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds) — ਅਜਵਾਇਣ; a pinch baking soda; as needed oil, for frying; 2 tbsp ghee — ਘਿਉ; 3 dried red chillies; ½ tsp mustard seeds — ਰਾਈ; ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds — ਮੇਥੀ ਦਾਣੇ; a pinch asafoetida (hing) — ਹਿੰਗ; to taste salt

⏱ Prep 20m🍳 Cook 45m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Vegetarian

Video: Your Food Lab (YouTube)

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora is the kind of cooking that fills a house with warmth before the pot even comes to the table. Tart whisked yogurt and besan simmer into a thick, golden curry, and onion-besan fritters bob inside it, softening until they carry every drop of the gravy. The final red-chilli tempering on top is not optional — it is the dish's signature. This is Sunday lunch in Punjab, eaten with plain rice or makki ki roti.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪sour yogurt (at least 1 day old) — ਦਹੀ1 cup
▪besan (chickpea flour) — ਬੇਸਣ¼ cup + 3 tbsp (for pakoras)
▪water3½ cups
▪turmeric powder — ਹਲਦੀ½ tsp
▪red chilli powder — ਲਾਲ ਮਿਰਚ1 tsp
For the pakoras
▪onion, thinly sliced — ਪਿਆਜ਼2 medium
▪green chilli, chopped2
▪ajwain (carom seeds) — ਅਜਵਾਇਣ½ tsp
▪baking sodaa pinch
▪oil, for fryingas needed
For the tempering
▪ghee — ਘਿਉ2 tbsp
▪dried red chillies3
▪mustard seeds — ਰਾਈ½ tsp
▪fenugreek seeds — ਮੇਥੀ ਦਾਣੇ¼ tsp
▪asafoetida (hing) — ਹਿੰਗa pinch
▪saltto taste

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

The key to non-curdling kadhi is sour yogurt — if your yogurt is fresh and mild, add 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar to the base before cooking.
Besan is sold as gram flour or chickpea flour in most South Asian, Middle Eastern, and health-food stores globally — Bob's Red Mill stocks it in North American supermarkets.
Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) are non-negotiable for authentic Punjabi kadhi flavour; find them at any Indian grocery store. They keep for years in a sealed jar.

Method

1Whisk together yogurt, ¼ cup besan, turmeric, red chilli powder, and 3 cups water until completely smooth with no lumps. This is the kadhi base.
2Make pakora batter: combine remaining 3 tbsp besan with sliced onions, green chilli, ajwain, baking soda, and salt. Add just enough water to coat — the batter should be thick, not runny.
3Heat oil (about 4cm deep) in a kadai to 170°C. Drop spoonfulls of the pakora batter in batches; fry for 3–4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper. They will soften in the kadhi, so frying them crisp now is important.
4For the kadhi: heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add mustard seeds; when they pop, add fenugreek seeds and let them darken slightly (10 seconds — they turn bitter if burnt). Add asafoetida.
5Pour in the whisked yogurt-besan mixture. Stir constantly over medium heat — the kadhi will curdle if you stop stirring in the first 5 minutes. Once it comes to a boil, reduce to a low simmer.
6Simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the kadhi thickens, loses its raw besan taste, and turns a rich golden yellow. Add the fried pakoras and cook 5 more minutes.
7Final tempering: heat ghee in a small pan until smoking. Add dried red chillies, let them darken, then pour this sizzling ghee over the kadhi just before serving. Serve with steamed rice.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.