Punjabi Kadhi Pakora
Authentic Punjabi style curry recipe made with yogurt, besan, other spices and fried pakoras.
Ingredients
For the pakoras
- 1 cup besan flour
- 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp chopped onions
- 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp ajwain / carom seeds
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- salt, as per taste
- 1/4 cup water
- oil, for deep frying the pakoras
For the kadhi
- 2 cups curd, or 500 grams of curd
- 1/4 cup besan flour
- 1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic-green chili paste
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- salt, as per taste
- 3 cups water
For the kadhi pakora
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/4 tsp methi seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 red chilies
- 1/2 tsp hing
For the final tadka
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
- a pinch of kashmiri chili powder
Instructions
To prepare pakoras
- Except water, mix everything else listed under 'For the pakoras'.
- Add water to make a thick batter. I added nearly 1/4 cup of water. Adjust according to consistency.
- Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Drop spoonful of the batter in the oil and fry them.
- Fry the pakoras evenly from all sides until golden brown in color.
- Drain the pakoras onto a plate and keep it aside until further use.
To prepare the kadhi
- In a mixing bowl, except water, add rest of the ingredients listed under 'For the kadhi'. Whisk everything until well combined.
- Add the water and mix everything well ensuring that no lumps are formed.
To prepare the kadhi pakora
- Add oil in a kadai and heat it.
- When the oil becomes hot, add the fenugreek / methi seeds.
- Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Add the red chilies and fry them in the oil.
- Add hing to the oil.
- Immediately add the kadhi mixture and cook on low-medium flame for 30 minutes.
- The kadhi would have reduced by volume after 30 minutes. Add the pakoras to the kadhi 10 minutes before serving.
- In a tadka pan, add ghee and let it heat.
- Add the crushed coriander seeds to the ghee.
- Add a pinch of kashmiri chili powder and immediately pour the tadka on the kadhi pakora.
- Serve hot with jeera rice, plain rice or parathas.
Notes
- Instead of mint leaves in the pakora, even spinach or methi leaves can be used.
- To prepare the batter for pakora, add water according to the consistency. It should be a thick batter of dropping consistency.
- Fry the pakoras evenly until golden brown from all sides. Do not burn it. Ensure the kadai is on medium flame to fry the pakoras.
- While mixing the spices and the water in the curd, make sure that there are no lumps formed.
- While frying the hing, red chilies, cumin and methi seeds, make sure that you do not burn it.
- If the kadhi becomes very thick, just add some hot water to it to adjust the consistency.
- Add the pakoras to the kadhi 10 minutes before serving them.