Kadhi Pakora
The ever-so-comforting Kadhi Pakora is a North Indian classic dish that combines spiced yogurt and besan (chickpea flour) into a velvety curry, simmered gently with crispy pakoras.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 289kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 grams zucchini shredded (or thinly sliced onions, carrots, potatoes)
- ½ cup besan (gram flour)
- ¼ cup rice flour
- ½ jalapeño finely diced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoons fennel seeds grounded
- ¼ teaspoon ajwain crushed in hands
- ½ teaspoon aamchur
- 1 teaspoons salt
- neutral oil for frying
Kadhi
- 400 grams whole milk plain yogurt room temperature
- 70 grams besan (gram flour)
- 4 cups water divided
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ tablespoon kasuri methi crushed in hands
Tadka
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 dried red chili broken in half
- 10 curry leaves
Instructions
Pakoras
- Heat 2–3 inches of oil in a deep pan or kadhai over medium heat.
- In a bowl, mix together the grated zucchini (or other vegetables), besan, and rice flour immediately to prevent the flour from clumping. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, mix in the jalapeño, cilantro, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, ground fennel, ajwain, aamchur, and salt to form a thick batter.
- Test the hot oil by dropping a small bit of batter — it should sizzle and rise. Drop about a tablespoon of batter into the oil and fry until a deep golden brown, turning occasionally. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
Kadhi
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, besan, and ½ cup of water until completely smooth.
- Heat a deep pot or dutch oven on medium heat and melt a tablespoon of ghee. Temper the asafoetida, cumin seeds, turmeric, and garam masala in the ghee for 30 seconds. Then, pour the yogurt besan mixture with the other 3 ½ cups of water and bring to a gentle boil on low to medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
- Simmer on low for 30–40 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking or splitting. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, or to taste. Rub the kasuri methi between your hands and dump it into the pot. Stir together.
- Once the kadhi has thickened slightly and is cooked through, slightly break apart the fried pakoras and drop them in. Simmer for 5–10 minutes to let the pakoras soak and soften slightly.
Finish with Tadka
- In a small tadka pan, heat ghee or oil until screaming hot. Remove the pan from heat.
- Add Kashmiri chili powder, mustard seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves, and a pinch of hing. Once sizzling and aromatic, about a minute, pour the tempering over the kadhi.
- Serve the Kadhi hot with roti, naan, or basmati rice.
Notes
Fridge: Store kadhi in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove — it thickens over time, so you may need to add water.
Freezing: Not recommended with pakoras inside. You can freeze just the kadhi base, then make fresh pakoras or use separately stored frozen pakoras that are thawed in the refrigerator when ready to eat.
