Kadhi originated from Indian Sub-continent. It is made by yogurt, a thick gravy based on chickpea flour (Besan) and contains fritters called pakoras. Many states in India now have their own version of Kadhi. They are named after its respective region such as Punjabi Kadhi, Maharashtrian Kadhi, Rajasthani Kadhi, Gujarati kadhi,
Sindhi kadhi etc. I have already posted the Uttar Pradesh version of Kadhi consist of spongy fritters.
The Punjabi kadhi is different from the other variations of Kadhi. Punjabi kadhi is thicker, creamier and we add vegetable or onion fritters in it. People in Punjab region make Kadhi during winter hence Ginger Garlic is also added.
Let’s make Punjabi Kadhi today.
Ingredients
3/4 cup of besan (gram flour)
½ tsp. red chilli powder( you can add more or less as per your taste)
½ tsp. turmeric powder
½ tsp. Cumin seeds
? to ¾ tsp. salt or add as per your taste
¼ cup water or add as thickness
oil for deep frying pakoras
To Make Punjabi Kadhi gravy:
Onion fritters (Pyaaz ke pakode)
1.5 cups yogurt (sour or khatta dahi will be best for this gravy)
½ tsp. red chili powder
½ tsp. turmeric powder
½ tsp. garam masala powder
pinch of asafoetida (heeng)
1 to 1.5 teaspoon salt or add as required
1/2 cup of besan (gram flour)
1 small to medium chopped onion
1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp. fenugreek (methi) seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 green chilies chopped (as per your taste)
2 red chilies, broken
4 or 5 curry leaves
2 tbsp. oil ( I am using olive oil , but you can use musturd oil too)
Instructions
1. Add red chili powder, salt, cumin seeds and turmeric powder to thinly sliced onions and mix it in a bowl.
2. Now add gram flour/Besan inside bowl with water and mix it with onion. Due to water content in the onions, the mixture will become very moist or just about moist.
It is important to keep consistency right, add more Gram flour if it looks watery. Batter should be thick enough so that all thin onions are coated with it.
3. Turn on the stove and heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. I used a spoon to drop the onion pakora batter into the oil. You can make 6 or 7 fritters together depending upon size of pan/kadhai.
4. Turn the pakora to the other side, when one side is partially cooked.
5. Keep turning and fry till the pakoras are crisp and golden.
6. Remove the fried onion pakoras from the kadhi and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed.
7. Now, fry the remaining fritter better pakoras using same method. When all fritters are done keep all of them aside.
Prepare Punjabi Kadhi Gravy :
1. In a bowl take 1.5 cups yogurt and whisk it well until it become smooth.
2. Add besan (gram flour) and 1 tsp salt to the whisked yogurt and mix everything together. Also add 2 cup of water and stir again.
3. For making good consistency of kadhi, make sure you stir very well to make a smooth mixture without lumps. Keep breaking lumps with a wired whisk or a spatula. When it is all done then keep the yogurt mixture aside.
4. In another pan or kadai for making gravy, heat oil. I am using large bottomed pan, so that the kadhi does not spill when it's boil after adding fritters.
5. Add the 1 tsp cumin seeds, 8 to 10 methi seeds and a generous pinch of asafoetida. Allow cumin seeds to crackle and the methi seeds to change their color. Fry on a low flame, so that these spices do not get burnt.
6. Add chopped onion and curry leaves and saute for another minute.
7. Add Ginger-Garlic paste and 2 green chopped chilies (or 1 Chili if you like less spicy). Stir and saute for the mixture for 2 minutes.
8. After 2 minutes, add red chili powder, turmeric powder, Garam masala and salt (as per taste) in the pan and stir it well with onion masala.
9. Now, finally add the yogurt and Besan mix into the pan with 1 cup of water.
10. Increase the flame of the stove and keep stirring the kadhi mixture until kadhi started to boil. Keep on stirring .
11. Once it start to boil, turn the flame on low -medium side and let Kadhi cook for 15 to 20 minutes. The kadhi will start to thicken and color will be bright yellow.
12. If the kadhi becomes too thick, during this cooking you can add some hot water.
13. Now add the onion pakoras pyaz fritters in the kadhi and Stir it gently. Let the onion pakoras be soaked and cook in the kadhi for 10 to 12 minutes (Please see note for a useful tip).
14. After fritters are done, turn off the flame.
3,4 curry leaves /kadi patta/meethi neem
1-2 green chilies(As per taste)
2-3 dried red chilies (As per taste)
1 tsp Mustard seeds/Raai
1/2 tsp red chili powder
3 tbsp mustard oil or ghee or any vegetable oil
After 2 minutes, when Mustrard seeds start splattering, add Red Chilies and/or Green Chilies. Do not to overheat them else it will burn. Pour tadka/tempering on Kadhi.
Notes
1-Some people like crispy not soft or spongy Pakoda in Kadhi. To do so, make sure you boil Kadhi properly but add pakodas only when you are just ready to eat. 2-As mentioned in ingredients section, Kadhi will be best on it's flovr if the yogurt is sour. If yogurt being used is not sour you can use amchur powder mix with some hot water and add in to Kadhi.
