Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Pakistani Food Recipe

Today, I am going to introduce a delicious Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Pakistani Food Recipe to you. It is very famous in Pakistan and also very popular in India. So let’s start the article about the Punjabi recipe. Hey, I am also sharing the tips for how to make the best Punjabi Kadhi pakora recipe.

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora is one of the most popular North Indian dishes! Deep-fried fritters (pakora) are dunked in a yogurt-based curry made with besan (gram flour) and spices!

I am sharing my absolute favorite way to make the best Punjabi Kadhi Pakora at home. I mean kadhi and Chawal (rice) is the quintessential Delhi food. It’s hard to ignore it if you grew up around that area. Kadhi for those who are not aware is a dish made with yogurt and besan (gram flour) typically.

It is made in different ways in different parts of the country, so there’s no one way to make it. They all use besan though, that’s one thing in common. The Sindhi kadhi uses a lot of vegetables like cluster beans, okra, potatoes, etc.

So, you see there’s no single way to enjoy kadhi. It depends on which region of India you are from and which kind of kadhi you grew up eating. I and Sarvesh grew up eating Punjabi-style Kadhi, so for us, kadhi was supposed to have pakora and it was supposed to be flavorful and tangy.

Which Is The Main Ingredients Of That Recipe:

The base of this Punjabi kadhi is made with 2 main ingredients and they are-

-yogurt (plain whole milk yogurt is what I prefer)

-besan (gram flour)

Tips For The Best Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Recipe:

1. Don’t forget the final Tadka and use ghee for it:

it adds to the flavor and really makes the dish pop, so do not skip it! I like using ghee for the final Tadka, adds a lot of flavor and aroma.

And the Kashmiri red chili powder gives it a beautiful color on top.

2. Use sour yogurt if possible: usually, I prefer using old yogurt for my kadhi. The one that isn’t freshly made and is tasting a little sour.

That works best with Punjabi kadhi. A good kadhi in my opinion should have a little tang and the sour yogurt just does the trick!

3. Do not add salt in the beginning: I prefer adding the salt once the kadhi gets a boil. I have noticed that sometimes the kadhi splits when you add salt in the beginning. So, let the kadhi cook and add salt once it comes to a boil and has cooked slightly.

How To Make Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Pakistani Food Recipe Step By Step Instructions:

Tangy and flavorful Punjabi Kadhi Pakora has deep-fried pakoras (fritters) dunked in a tangy yogurt-based curry! Best enjoyed with steamed white rice! Here, I am showing you how to make Punjabi kadhi pakora recipe the below:

Ingredients:

For Kadhi Ingredients:

Besan (Gram Flour) 1/2 cup
Plain Yogurt (1.5 cups) 360 grams
Red Chili Powder (1 tablespoon)
Turmeric Powder (1/2 tablespoon)
Coriander Powder (1 tablespoon)
Water (6 cups) 1.4 liters
Cooking oil (2 tablespoons)
Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds) 1/2 tablespoon
Cumin Seeds (1/2 tablespoon)
Onion (1 small onion)
Green chili (1 chili) chopped
Chopped Garlic (1 tablespoon)
Chopped Ginger (1 tablespoon)
Coriander leaves (2 tablespoons)
Salt for tastes

For Tadka Ingredients:

1.5 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
1/2 teaspoon of Cumin Seeds
A pinch of Ajwain
2-3 Dried Red Chilies
1/2 teaspoon of Kashmiri Red Chili Powder (for the bright red color not spicy)

For The Pakora Ingredients:

Besan (Gram Flour) 1 cup
Thinly slices Onion (1 cup)
Green Chili (1 chili)
Green Coriander (1/2 cup)
Turmeric Powder (1/4 teaspoon)
Red Chili Powder (1 teaspoon)
Coriander Powder (1/2 teaspoon)
Ajwain (1/4 teaspoon)
Salt for tastes
Plain Yogurt (2 tablespoons)
2 pinches of Baking Soda
Water as needed (for kneading dough)
Oil for frying

Cooking Method:

How To Make a Kadhi:

To a large bowl, add 1/2 cup besan (55 grams) and 1.5 cups (360 grams) yogurt. Make sure the yogurt is at room temperature.

Whisk until besan and yogurt are well combined.
Add 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon coriander powder and whisk until you have a lump-free mixture.
Add 6 cups water (around 1.4 liters of water) and mix until it’s all mixed together. Set aside.
In a large and deep pan, add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil on medium-high heat. You can use any oil but mustard oil gives it a nice flavor.
Once the oil is hot (make sure oil is heated through else mustard oil gives a raw taste), add the methi seeds and cumin seeds.
Add the sliced onion along with chopped green chili and cook for 2 minutes.

Then add the chopped ginger and garlic and cook for another 1 minute or so until the ginger and garlic start changing color.
Add the prepared besan-yogurt mixture into the pan. Now with the heat on medium-high, stir continuously until the kadhi comes to a boil.

Stir continuously until the kadhi comes to a boil, then lower the heat to low-medium and let it cook for around 30 minutes. Keep stirring it in between.
Add salt after the kadhi has been cooking for 15 minutes or so. While the kadhi is cooking, make the pakora.

Now, Let’s Make The Pakora:

To a large bowl, add 1 cup besan (110 grams), along with 1 cup sliced onion, 1 chopped green chili, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ajwain, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt and mix.
t should not be very runny but not super thick either. I added around 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of water.
Add 2 pinch of baking soda and mix the batter for a minute using your hands. This will make the pakoras nice and soft.

Meanwhile, heat oil (around 2 cups) in a kadhai on medium heat to fry the pakoras.
Once the oil is hot, mix the batter again for a minute using your hands, and then start dropping the batter into the hot oil.

I take a handful of batter using my thumb and four fingers and drop it straight into the hot oil, you may use a spoon.
Let it cook and turn golden brown from one side and then flip and cook the other side. Make sure to cook on medium-low heat so that the pakoras cook nicely from inside too.

Cook until pakoras are golden brown from both sides. Drain on a paper towel.
After 30 minutes or so, kadhi would have considerably thickened and completely cooked. Add cilantro. You can little extra water here if kadhi looks too thick to you.

Add the pakora and transfer kadhi into a serving pan.

It Time To Tadka:

Heat ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once the ghee is hot, add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and a generous pinch of ajwain. Add 2-3 dried red chilies (you can break them for extra heat).

Once seeds crackle, add 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder and turn off the heat immediately.
Pour Tadka over kadhi, garnish with more cilantro and serve Punjabi kadhi pakora with rice!