Kadhi Pakora
A comforting Punjabi classic featuring slow-cooked, tangy yogurt and besan curry packed with crispy potato, onion, and spinach pakoras, finished with a sizzling chilli tadka.
Ingredients
For the Besan Curry (Kadhi)
- 3 –4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds zeera
- 1 tsp carom seeds ajwain
- 1 tsp curry leaves
- 2 –3 dried whole red chillies
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 1 tsp each: salt cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, and turmeric powder
- 250 g plain yogurt dahi
- 8 tbsp besan gram flour
- 1 litre water plus extra as needed
For the Crispy Pakoras
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium potato thinly sliced
- 1 handful spinach chopped
- ½ cup besan gram flour
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
- 1 tsp whole coriander seeds crushed
- 1 tsp anardana dried pomegranate seeds
- 1 tsp carom seeds ajwain
- 1 tsp each: salt turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and coriander powder
- Handful fresh coriander chopped
- A splash of water use sparingly
- Oil for deep frying
For the Tadka (Tempering)
- 5 –6 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes
- Whole green and red chillies
Instructions
- Whisk together yogurt, 8 tbsp besan, and 1 litre water until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve and set aside.
- Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in a pot. Add cumin seeds, carom seeds, curry leaves, and dried red chillies until fragrant.
- Add chopped onion and cook until slightly brown. Add chopped tomato, ginger garlic paste, green chilli, and curry spices (salt, cumin, coriander, red chilli, turmeric). Cook into a soft paste.
- Pour in the strained yogurt mixture, bring to a boil while stirring, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 1 hour. Check every 15 minutes and add water if too thick.
- In a bowl, combine sliced onion, potato, spinach, 1/2 cup besan, crushed spices, salt, turmeric, red chilli, coriander powder, fresh coriander, and a small splash of water. Mix firmly by hand.
- Fry spoonfuls of pakora batter in hot oil until golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer hot pakoras directly from the frying pan into the simmering kadhi curry and mix gently for a few minutes.
- Prepare tadka by heating 5-6 tbsp oil in a small pan. Add red chilli powder, chilli flakes, and whole green/red chillies. Sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Pour the hot tadka over the kadhi pakora. Serve immediately with rice or chapattis.
Video
Notes
Minimal Water in Pakoras: Only add a small splash of water to the pakora batter, as the vegetables will release their own water. This keeps the pakoras crisp!
Hot Pakoras to Curry: Transferring hot pakoras directly from the oil into the curry allows them to soak up the tangy kadhi juices effortlessly.
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