A Kadhi recipe that is a family heirloom recipe and tastes super delicious. This fabulous Kadhi Pakora is my mother-in-law’s treasured recipe of making the traditional Punjabi Kadhi with onion pakora. Here the crispy onion fritters are dunked in a spiced, savory, tangy yogurt sauce. A recipe she has been making for ages and loved by all of us.
About Kadhi Recipe
The Hindi word “Kadhi” denotes a yogurt sauce that has been slow-cooked for quite some time. The word “pakora” means fritters made from gram flour (besan). In this recipe, the fritters are made with savory, spiced batter made with onions, gram flour and seasonings.
There are many variations of making kadhi in North and Western Indian cuisines. Even though the spices or herbs added are different, but the yogurt sauce is mostly thickened with gram flour (called besan in Hindi).
Gram flour is made from skinned black chickpeas and has a nutty flavor. The curd that is used to make kadhi is sour curd. As a result, this dish has a sour, spiced and creamy taste.
You will find that each state and region have their own ways of making dahi besan kadhi. So we have Maharashtrian Kadhi, Rajasthani Kadhi, Gujarati Kadhi, Sindhi Kadhi and so on.
The Punjabi Kadhi is different from the other regional variations of kadhi. It is thicker and creamier than other variations which have a slightly thinner consistency.
The herbs and spices used in the recipe are also different. The onion pakora offers a lot of texture and balances the creaminess of the yogurt sauce.
I often make Kadhi pakora, but I just could not manage to take step-by-step photos and that is why it took me so long to share this delicious Punjabi kadhi recipe.
We love kadhi, be it with or without pakora. When we serve Punjabi kadhi pakora with steamed rice or jeera rice, we call it kadhi chawal – where chawal is the Hindi word for rice.
You can also have kadhi with roti but we prefer to have it with rice. Kadhi Chawal and Rajma Chawal are a staple and much-loved food in Punjabi homes.
How to make Kadhi Pakora
This is again one of those recipe posts, where there are maximum pictures. Since I am presenting a step-by-step photo guide, I will first begin with making the curd slurry, then making the onion pakora and then finally with the making of the kadhi pakora.
Make Curd Slurry
1. In a bowl take 1.5 cups sour curd or about 375 grams of curd. Whisk it well till smooth.
2. Add 8 tablespoons of gram flour (besan), ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 teaspoon salt to the whisked curd.
3. Stir and mix everything again.
4. Add 3 cups water and stir again.
5. Stir very well to make a smooth mixture without lumps. If there are lumps, then break them with a wired whisk or a spatula or with your fingers. Set the curd slurry aside.
You can use a blender to make this mixture, but make sure you don’t over do it. You will get butter instead of a smooth blended curd.
Make Pakora For Kadhi
1. Take 1 cup gram flour (besan) in a bowl and add the following ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ⅔ teaspoon salt or as required
2. Add 1 cup thinly sliced onions. About 2 medium to large onions, sliced, approx 150 grams of onions.
3. Mix everything well and keep aside covered for 30 minutes.
4. This will allow the onions to release their water in the mixture. Depending on the water content in the onions, the mixture will become very moist or just about moist. Here’s a photo of the onions after 30 minutes. Mix again.
4. Then accordingly add water as required to make a thick batter. I added ¼ cup water. You can also skip adding water if the mixture is too moist.
6. Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. You can use any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoking temperature or mustard oil.
When the oil becomes medium hot, with a spoon drop the pakora batter in the oil.
7. When the pakora are partly cooked, then turn over with a slotted spoon and continue to fry the other side.
8. Fry till the pakora are crisp and golden turning over a couple of times for even cooking.
9. Remove the fried pakora and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. Fry the pakora in batches this way. When done keep all of them aside.
Make Kadhi Recipe
1. In another pan or kadai, heat 2 tablespoons of mustard oil. Make sure to use a large bottomed pot so that while cooking, the kadhi does not spill.
If you don’t have mustard oil, feel free to use any neutral-flavored oil. But the traditional Punjabi kadhi has mustard oil.
2. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) and a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing).
Allow the cumin seeds to crackle and the fenugreek seeds to change their color. Fry on a low flame, so that these spices do not get burnt.
3. Add ⅓ cup chopped onions. Stir and saute for 3 minutes on low to medium-low heat.
4. Then add 1 tablespoon chopped ginger, ¾ to 1 tablespoon chopped garlic and 2 green chillies, chopped. Stir and sauté for a minute.
5. Now add 8 to 10 curry leaves, 2 dry red chilies (halved or broken).
6. Stir and sauté for a minute on a low heat.
7. Then add the curd slurry.
8. Stir very well.
9. Increase the flame to medium and bring the kadhi to a boil. Keep on stirring often so that the bottom does not get browned. Time taken to cook kadhi will be around 14 to 16 minutes.
10. After it comes to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer it for a further 6 to 7 minutes. Do stir at times.
The kadhi will thicken as it cooks and simmers. If it becomes too thick, then add some hot water.
11. In the below photo, the kadhi is ready.
Make Kadhi Pakora
12. Now add the onion pakora to the kadhi. Stir gently.
13. Cover with a lid and let the onion pakora be soaked in it for 8 to 10 minutes.
14. Lastly, sprinkle some garam masala powder on the Punjabi Kadhi.
15. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve Punjabi Kadhi Pakora hot with steamed rice or jeera rice, topped with few teaspoonfuls of ghee.
You could also serve with roti or paratha. However, the combination of Kadhi Chawal (kadhi served with steamed rice) is very popular and tastes very good.
Expert Tips
- Curd (yogurt): Use full fat sour curd or sour yogurt made from whole milk. If the curd is not sour, then the kadhi will not be sour, but will still taste good. To make the curd sour, keep the set curd for a few hours at room temperature. Another way is to add ½ to 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder) or a bit of lemon juice to the dish once its cooked.
- Fats: Use mustard oil if possible to fry the onion pakora and for tempering. Mustard oil lends a pungent sharp taste and flavor to the kadhi. If you do not have mustard oil, then use a neutral oil like sunflower oil.
- Baking Pakora: You could also bake the pakora instead of deep frying them. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius until the pakora are crisp and golden. For baking pakora add 1 to 2 tablespoons oil in the batter and do not make the batter very moist but keep it a bit wet.
- Curry leaves: Don’t skip on curry leaves, as you will know that something is missing from the kadhi pakora recipe. But if they are not available to you then omit adding them.
- Besan: Use good quality gram flour (besan). In a pinch you could also use chickpea flour.
- Prep work: The onion pakora can be prepared earlier and set aside.
- Cooking kadhi: Use a large bottomed pot for making the kadhi pakora recipe. The kadhi froths while cooking, thus can overflow and spill if you use a small pot.
- Pakora texture: To make softer pakora, add some more water than mentioned in the recipe below. In this case, add the pakora to the kadhi, just before serving. If added much before serving, then the pakora become too soft and mushy.
Some folks do not like the mushy and soft pakora in the Punjabi kadhi. In this case the pakora can be a little hard. Add little or no water to the batter.
In this recipe I have not made the pakora soft. Just added enough water to make the batter smooth but not runny. Thus you could well add the pakora just after the kadhi is ready. The pakora won’t break when the kadhi is served later.
More Awesome Punjabi Recipes!
Paneer Recipes
Paneer Recipes
Dal (Lentils) & Legumes
Chickpeas Recipes
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Kadhi Recipe (Punjabi Kadhi Pakora)
Ingredients
For curd slurry
- 1.5 cups sour curd (full fat) or sour yogurt, 375 grams
- 3 cups water or add as required
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 to 1.5 teaspoon salt or add as required
- 8 tablespoon gram flour (besan), 40 grams
For onion pakora
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions (tightly packed) or 2 medium to large onions or 150 grams
- 1 cup besan (gram flour)
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- ⅔ to ¾ teaspoon salt or add as required
- ¼ cup water or add as required
- mustard oil or sunflower oil or any neutral oil – for shallow frying or deep frying
For kadhi
- ⅓ cup chopped onions or 1 small to medium onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- ¾ to 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 2 green chillies – chopped or 1 teaspoon serrano peppers
- 2 dry red chillies – broken and seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 8 to 10 curry leaves or 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil or sunflower oil or any neutral oil
Instructions
Making curd slurry
- In a bowl take the sour curd and whisk it well till smooth
- Add gram flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt to the whisked curd.
- Stir and mix everything again.
- Add 3 cups water and stir again.
- Stir very well to make a smooth mixture without lumps. If there are lumps, then break them with a wired whisk or a spatula or with your fingers. Set the curd slurry aside.
- You can use a blender to make this mixture, but make sure you don’t over do it. You will get butter instead of a smooth blended curd.
Making pakora for kadhi
- Take the gram flour in a bowl and add carom seeds, red chili powder, garam masala powder and salt.
- Add 1 cup thinly sliced onions.
- Mix everything well and set aside covered for 30 minutes.
- This will allow the onions to release their water in the mixture. Depending on the water content in the onions, the mixture will become very moist or just about moist.
- Then accordingly add water as required to make a thick batter. I added ¼ cup water.
- Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. Let the oil become medium hot. Then with a spoon carefully drop the pakora batter in the oil.
- When the pakora are partly cooked, then turn over and fry the other side.
- Fry till the pakora are crisp and golden.
- Remove the fried pakora and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. Fry the pakora in batches this way. When done set all of them aside.
Making kadhi
- In another pan or kadai, heat mustard oil. Make sure to use a large bottomed pot so that while boiling, the kadhi does not spill.
- Add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Allow the cumin seeds to crackle and the fenugreek seeds to change their color. Fry on a low flame, so that these spices do not get burnt.
- Add chopped onions. Stir and sauté for 3 minutes on a low to medium-low heat.
- Then add chopped ginger, chopped garlic and chopped green chillies. Stir and sauté for a minute.
- Now add curry leaves, dry red chilies (halved or broken and seeds removed). Stir and sauté for a minute on a low flame.
- Then add the curd slurry.
- Stir very well.
- Increase the flame to medium and bring the kadhi to a boil. Keep on stirring often so that the bottom does not get browned. Time taken to cook kadhi will be around 14 to 16 minutes.
- After the kadhi has come to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for more 6 to 7 minutes. The kadhi will thicken.
- If the kadhi becomes too thick, then add some hot water.
Making kadhi pakora
- Now add the onion pakora to the kadhi and stir gently.
- Cover with a lid and let the onion pakora be soaked in it for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Lastly sprinkle some garam masala powder.
- Serve kadhi pakora with steamed rice or cumin rice, topped with few teaspoonfuls of ghee. You could also have kadhi with roti or paratha.
Notes
- Curd (yogurt): For the kadhi recipe, use full fat sour curd or sour yogurt made from whole milk. If the curd is not sour, then the kadhi won’t be sour, but the taste will still be good. To make the curd sour keep the curd at room temperature for few hours. Second alternative is to add ½ to 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder) or a bit of lemon juice when the dish is cooked.
- Fats: Use mustard oil if possible for deep frying onion pakora and for the kadhi. Mustard oil gives a pungent sharp taste and flavor. If you do not have mustard oil, then use a neutral oil like sunflower oil.
- Baking Pakora: You could also bake the pakora instead of frying them. Bake them in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius until the pakora are crisp and golden. For baking Add 1 to 2 tablespoons oil in the batter and do not make it very moist but keep it a bit wet and not dry.
- Curry leaves: Don’t skip on curry leaves, as you will know that something is missing from the kadhi pakora recipe. However if it is not available then skip adding them.
- Gram flour: Use good quality gram flour (besan). You could also use chickpea flour in place of gram flour.
- Prep work: The onion pakora can be made earlier and set aside.
- Cooking kadhi: Use a large bottomed pot for making the kadhi pakora recipe. The kadhi froths while cooking and can overflow if you use a small pot.
- Pakora texture: To make softer pakora, add some more water in the batter. In this case, add the pakora to the kadhi, just before serving. If added earlier to the kadhi, then the pakora become too soft and mushy. Some folks do not like mushy and soft pakora in the Punjabi kadhi. In this case the pakora can be a little hard – so add little or no water to the batter.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Kadhi Recipe post from the blog archives first published in January 2012 has been updated and republished on July 2021.
We make this at home regularly. Love it!
I just made this exactly as written (except for adding a lot more dried chillies) and this is fantastic.
It’s hard to get this dish at restaurants here in America (I found it once and it wasn’t very good) so it’s nice finding a recipe that’s authentic and fairly easy to make. Thanks!
Great and thanks for letting me know. Thanks also for the rating on the recipe.
Hello ! Thank you for sharing your recipes. Would like to enquire, can kadhi be freezed for later ? With the pakora freezed separately.
Welcome. Yes you can freeze the kadhi but freeze it without adding the pakoras. The pakoras can also be frozen but do warm them up in the oven or in an air-fryer before adding to the kadhi.
Absolutely delicious Recipe, 5 stars
Using your recipe of this curry for every day dinner. Super grateful !
Lovely and thank you.
Made it for my friend, it’s snowing here and we wanted comfort food. Absolutely delicious, loved the flavors and how easy it is! I swapped the pakoras for sautéed onions instead and used buttermilk instead of curd. Thanks Dassana.
Thank you for this feedback and the rating as well. Yes, sautéed onions also work well in the recipe. Most welcome.
Hi a quick question, are you supposed to eat the curry leaves ? Or do you remove them before serving ?
I added a ton of them and then wasn’t sure if I am supposed to take them out before serving this.
Curry leaves can be eaten. I eat them but not everyone prefers eating them. So you can remove them before serving. Curry leaves has many health benefits, so mostly I chop them while cooking, so that my family eats them.
Thanks so much for reply. I will cut the curry leaves small next time, so they can be eaten, great suggestion. I will be making this excellent recipe again soon !
Welcome and thanks.
Made vegan w/ vegan yogurt, good, thx !
I have made this this recipe today and it was excellent! Thank you so much 🙏
Nice to know and thanks for the feedback.
Recipe for a perfect Punjabi kadhi. Thank you 🙏
Welcome and thanks. Nice to know.
When my mother was alive..
She used to cook this extremely tasty dish.
God bless you for ever.
Now I will make kadhi pakora
following your recipe.
The photos are so nice
of step by step cooking.
Excellent.
Thanks a lot. I hope you enjoy making the recipe and like it as well.
Turned out to be a treat. First time tried and successfully managed to make tasty kadhi. I tempered a little haldi, red chilli powder 2 curry leaves nd a quarter red chilli in ghee nd yumm it was. Easy and tasty thanks for the super recipe.
It turned out very yummy..thank you!
thanks for the feedback and rating. glad to know.
Thank you Dassana – Kadhi is my favourite, and this recipe turned out to be the easiest way to make it. I also should thank you as I learnt cooking from your website – which turned out to be a boon not only during my pg days, but now also in my married life. Very very grateful to you.
welcome nandhini. felt nice to read your comment. i wish you all the best for your future.
also thanks for the feedback and rating on kadhi recipe.
namaste dassana ji thank you for this wonderful recipe ,it was very helpful!!!!!
namaste thannishtha. glad to know and thanks.
Thank you for sharing your recipe! It was very easy to follow for a beginner and was very delicious.
Namaste Dassana Ji,
Thank you for this delicious punjabi kadhi rcp. just a que. at which stage should we add amchur powder incase the curd is not sour and would 1/2tsp be enough like the other spices..?
thank you
you can add amchur powder once the kadhi is done and then simmer for a minute. thanks.
Thank you so much for this recipe- it came out great and I really appreciate your step by step process. I will be looking to try all of your recipes now!! 🙂
thanks kavita for the feedback and rating on kadhi recipe. do try some more recipes. i am sure you will like them. happy cooking.
Today tried your kadhi. It came out superb.
I didn’t have time to read.
Rushing to finish it before my family comes back home. Glanced through pictures. It gave good idea of kadhi
Thank you.
Well explained recipe. Recipe came out well. I love your site. As an alternative we can add either Okra or Drumsticks instead of Pakoras to Kadhi as well. Tastes great that way too.
thanks aftaab for the feedback and rating on kadhi recipe. yes you can add drumsticks or okra. for okra, fry or saute them before adding in kadhi. add once the kadhi is done. for drumsticks you can cook it in the kadhi itself.
I love your site.. the way u share details amd step wise pictures about every recipe.. before i was very afraid of making kadhi.. but thanku for this amazing recipe kadhi pakora turned out amazing
Ur way of writing and explaining is very good.. and easy to adapt..
thank you parul for the feedback and sharing your views. i am glad that the kadhi recipe was good. happy cooking.
I love your site and the way you share the details about every recipe. I wasn’t good at cooking but vegrecipesofinfia has always helped me with veg recipe and thanks to you. The best part about the site is the images shared for every step. The only thing I miss here is non veg recipe as I’m a non vegetarian 🙂
thank you ashwini. glad to read your comment. i am happy that the vegetarian recipes have helped you. wish you in advance happy diwali and happy cooking too.
Thank you for this amazing recipe, kadhi-pakora turned out amazing. Curd wasn’t sour enough, so i added amchur powder.
thanks for the feedback sarang. nice to know. amchur powder can easily be used in any curd curry based recipes when the curd is not sour.
Amazing recipe …. always turns out delicious !!
thank you shiwani.
Hi dassana,
Thankyou for d recipe. It turned out awesome as usual.
U r always a blessing to people like us.
Thanx once again.
Keep doing the good work.
Welcome Deepa. Thanks for your positive feedback and kind words.
Hi please tellme.. can i use buttermilk instead of curd for making the kadhi.. please reply soon.. i m looking forward to make it today..
yes sana you can use buttermilk.
hi i tried ur kadhi receipe…it came out very well thanku . ..everyone in my home liked it….but one doubt i felt it s little bit sweet ..may be because i prefer more spicy ..can i increase the red chilli powder and green chilli ..? and ur way of writing and explaining things is very good .and step by step procedure is very easy to adapt and time saving …
yes pavithra, you can increase red chilli powder and green chili. punjabi kadhi has a sour taste. if sour curd is used, the taste is very good. with fresh curd, the taste changes and has a bit of sweetness. thanks pavithra.
this is fantastic. It turned out really well. thank you for sharing this.
welcome. glad to know that you liked punjabi kadhi recipe.
8tbsp of besan? I think you meant 8 tsp. 8 tbsp would require much more water. Otherwise it was delicious.
it is 8 tablespoons besan. punjabi kadhi is on the thicker side and so works well with 3 cups water (750ml). plus there will be some whey in the curd too.
It’s perfect I just loved the way it looked and tasted thanku so much for sharing the recipe
Welcome Amina. Thanks for your positive feedback on Punjabi Kadhi.
hello dassana,
this recipe looks really delicious! as a vegan however, i was wondering if you think this recipe would work with cashew curd or coconut curd? i look forward to hearing back from you, thank you!
coconut curd works very well. i remember one vegan friend making kadhis with coconut curd. i have made gravy based dishes with cashew curd, so i guess even cashew curd will work well.
First, I just want to tell you how much I appreciate your recipes and the step by step pictures! My husband is from India and I am good with recipes, so I have been able to learn to cook many Indian dishes from your website. Your kadhi recipe is excellent and my husband says it tastes really authentic. I have a question for you regarding what to do if you have a large group to cook for and you need to double or triple the recipe. Do you then double the spices as well or will that make it too spicy? Also for something that needs to be pressure cooked liked rajma masala or dal, do you double the water and the number of whistles required to pressure cook the beans or dal? I am not sure if you still reply to comments on this site, but if you do I would appreciate your suggestions! Thank you in advance and thank you again for all of the wonderful recipes!
thanks marissa for this lovely feedback. when i need to double or triple any recipe, i use the system of approximation when adding ingredients. its called as ‘andaaz’ in india. basically just feeling and eyeballing the ingredients and then adding it. i do not double the spices or other ingredients. i rely on my feeling and intuition when cooking for crowds. doubling the ingredients works where there is a set proportion of ingredients like sweets or in baked food. but in curries or dals, the balance of the flavors and taste can go awry if ingredients are doubled.
for pressure cooking, there is a proportion that is used. so yes double the amount of water. the number of whistles will increase and so the time will also increase, but these won’t be doubled. just some more whistles and time.
i reply to all comments that we get ????. i hope i have managed to reply to all your queries.
Hello mam I m going to try this…. 8 tbsp besan ,Tablespoon means the spoon with which we eat
sonia, its not that tablespoon. there are specific measurement spoons available and both teaspoon and tablespoon are part of this set. instead just add 1/2 cup of besan. here the cup is also a measuring cup and not the cup in which we have tea or coffee.
Dear Dassana I am in love with all your recipes. I am a great fan of your app and always suggest it to anyone who wants Indian vegetarian recipes. You have made me enjoy and love cooking. Wish you all the best. God bless.
Thanks Leah for your positive feedback and best wishes. Glad to know that you liked the app and the recipes.
When would you add the amchur powder if you needed to sour the curd?
you can add when you add the curd mixture.
I tried this recipe today and it turned out to be the yummiest Kadhi ever. This is the first time I have tried making kadhi and Thanks to you for such easy and yummy recipe ???? Loved it
Welcome Sakshi. Glad to know this. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback.
I have been thinking for a while now to thank u for the well crafted meticuluously pictographic recipes.Having never entered in a kitchen before and a sudden transfer to New York might have been a catastrophe but u are my saviour.I have already earned a lot of accolades and I know many more are underway.All thanks to you????????
thanks ekta for this lovely comment. wish you all the best in a new city. happy cooking.
Hello dassana,
I love your recipes, especially this kadhi recipe and the restaurant style rajma curry are my favourites. I learnt cooking mostly by reading your blogs. Thank you so much for sharing such wonderful recipes.
I would really appreciate and be grateful if you would-
1) share some soya nuggets based recipes
2) share some low calorie recipes for fitness freaks and weight watchers
Looking forward to hearing from you. 🙂
thanks geetha and welcome. i do use soy nuggets as they are over processed and do not have any nutritive value. some years back i had read an article on the way soy nuggets is made in india and the article went into detail as to how they are made. i am not able to trace this article online as many readers have asked me to share soy nugget recipe. in fact any recipe from soy nuggets is one of the most requested recipes that i get.
i will try to add low calorie recipes. i have shared some already. you can check them here at this category of low fat recipe. though the recipes have less fat in them but calories are there ???? – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipe/low-fat-recipes/
When I googled this recipe,i don’t know why I didnot see you at the too and for a sec I thought that”ok if this recipe is not by Dasanna,then I am not going to cook!”immediately I saw this recipe and now I am heading out to prepare it…Thankyou so much for such amazing recipes.It is a lot of work to maintain all this ..Thankyou for what you are doing and keep up your work.Thankyou once again
thanks a lot raji. thats a sweet comment from you. i hope you liked the punjabi kadhi recipe. thanks again ????
Hi dassana , made it today following the recipe to the T . and if was wonderful . first time used mustard oil and its presence was felt in the curry making it yummy!!!! .thank u god bless u:)
thanks chandana. glad to know. agree that mustard oil flavors and aroma is felt in the kadhi.
Nice
Hi
Just wanted to express how grateful I am for your wonderful recipes. I have been married a while but never quite needed to cook, apart from the fancy party stuff. Your blog is Godsend for me, in more ways than you’d know how 🙂 from simple dals and veggies to the more complicated dishes, I have tried many recipes of yours, and they all come out perfect. Been meaning to write in to thank you for a while, but never did get around to it.
So again, many many thanks 🙂 keep the blog going and the wonderful recipes coming. Cheers !
Thanks a lot Shipra for this motivating feedback. I am happy to know that I could help you in learning cooking. Keep visiting the blog. Yes the blog will keep on running.
it was a very good recipe, made it twice till now and the guests loved it. thank-you for the great recipe
thats nice to know sonal. thanks for sharing the feedback.
whats the meaning of all purpose flour..
all purpose flour is maida, which is also known as refined flour or white flour.
Hi ur recipes r good simple. Thanks a lot for putting them up.
Regards kadhi. Recipe..
1.this amount will prepare less final kadhi.
2. The water u have mentioned is less. It has to be at least 2 more glass so that kadhi is cooked for long time around 50 min.
3. Also pl add …for the first boil keep on stirring to cook besan after that it can be simmered with occasional stirring till it thickens.
May i please add the following as It might be useful for some people …… the way I cook is using minimum spices.i m a punjabi by the way.☺. My spice box has turmeric. ..salt… cumin which is jeera ….garam masala …red chilli powder which I use very less. Ginger garlic I add if I get time…I like putting coriander leaves which is dhania if I have them but generally do not get time always to wash them.
So people even with very few spices one can cook very tasty food.
I try to get good raw vegetables and also have realised when too much spices are put the real taste of that veggie is LOST….so my cooking is with minimal spices.
Thank you once again for ur efforts for all work u do. .
Bless you
Regards
A Vaid
firstly thanks. this kadhi recipe is for 4 to 5 servings. so the amount of water added is fine. since its less amount, the amount of time taken to cook is also less as compared to kadhi made for 8 to 10 servings. i have added the point for the stirring often in step 9. will update in step 10 also.
sure you can share your variations and methods. it will definitely help other readers too. i agree with few spices also tasty food can be made.
I never had had kadhi before. But when I made it turned out to be awesome n a big favorite in my family. Thanks a lot
thats nice to know pallavi and thanks for the feedback.
I made this kadhi for the first time and it was yumm.. My husband, friends they loved this preparation . I am from Kolkata and never had kadhi before but after having this i can say, i am in love with kadhi. Thank u so much.
very pleased to know this sudeshna 🙂 thanks for positive feedback. you are welcome.
Hii Dassana,
I tried this recipe and it turned out so well, my family loved it so much, that I end up preparing Kadhi almost every Sunday.
Thanks for this lovely recipe. Your step by step presentation with pictures makes it really simple to understand and follow the process. Thanks once again and keep it up?
thanks niharika for your kind words and positive views :), you are welcome.
Thanks dassana.
I am working merchant
navy as a cook.i am basically from south. I don’t have a real experience of making punjabi food. But now I got full of punjabi crews in my ship. Searching for recipes. I found your blog. It’s really good .tips and step by step pics makes very comfortable and confidential. Thank you dassana. .
glad to hear this santhosh 🙂 wish you luck in your cooking endeavors and you are welcome.
Thank you so much for he recipe. I made kadhi by referring to your recipe and my husband loved it. ?
welcome sakshi and nice to know 🙂
This was a great recipe however I trippled the turmeric powder to give the colour shown in the picture.
Thanks
U hav not mentioned the time for which curry needs 2 b boiled as u ha just mentioned 6-7 minutes which is nt sufficent it needs to be boiled for atleast 40-45 minutes
after the kadhi comes to a boil, it has to be simmered for 7 to 8 minutes. i will make it clear it in the post and update the time too. this recipe does not require 40 to 45 minutes as the quantity is not much.
Nice
Lovely!!! Looks yummy … ? Thanks for sharing your recipe……
wow, very well explained.Step by step pics for cooking was wonderful experience.
My mom used to make almost similar to this. As she is no more with us(died in Dec 2014), this recipe has come as blessing from her. Thanx for this awesome recipe of Punjabi Kadhi..
we are sorry to hear about your mom may god give you the strength and courage to bear this loss. god bless you and thankyou for your kind words we are glad we could help you in some way.
Pics looks great. Can’t wait to try!
How much amchoor powder do we add for this recipe? Thanks in advance.
thanks. you can add from 1/2 to 1 teaspoon.
Hi,awsome and easy recipe thanks for sharing this recipe.i tried it, it is very yummy.
thankyou dilara 🙂 and you are welcome.
Hi Dassana, again a very lovely recipe. I have tried this and my family is in love with this dish. Just wanted to ask if I could add a little ajwain to the kadi during tadka. My so who used to not eat kadhi has started eating this.
thanks aparna. yes you can add some ajwain in the tadka. but add less as ajwain can be overpowering in a simple dish like kadhi.
Hi! The presentation and method is great , however , in Punjab we don’t use curry leaves in traditional kadhi . Instead we like kasuri methi to flavour it
thanks. but being punjabis, we use curry leaves. they give a good taste to the kadhi. kasuri methi can also be added. but we don’t add it.
lovely receipe , it gives a perfect outcome of delicious yummy dish..thanks
welcome mukul
Hai, I have tried your recipe and it came out very nice, my hubby loved it. Thankyou
welcome sirisha
Just a perfect example of professionalism. The introduction, the incredible pictures, the ingredients, the process and the wonderful finesse for people like me who have a short memory. Hey, the list of ingredients was there for the picking at the end. Can it get better than this?. Ha!, I am too busy relishing the dish.
thanks cecil for this encouraging feedback.
I LIKE IT
Looks Yumm, this is on Menu for my today’s lunch. 🙂
thanks poonam
Well, I followed your recipe, cooked it, ate it and enjoyed it. Thanks 🙂
welcome poonam
Your recipes are easy and explained to the T . Thanks . Have made some veggies from your site and I must say that it’s tasty.
welcome noella. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.
Thanks Dassana. Love all your recipes. Easy to follow and great step by step procedure.
welcome tania. thanks for sharing your positive feedback.
Hi dassana, I love all ur recepies n m glad that I am able to follow your step by step clear instructions…u r doing a great job
.just want to know the proportion if making the kadhi for 4 people with lassi..
thanks kirti. follow this recipe. it serves for 4-5 people.
hey!!!the kadhi recipe came out very tempting but it’s too thick!!!!
what shall i do guests are coming in 2 hrs?????
thanks poonam. add some more water and simmer the kadhi till it gets the desired consistency you want.
So delicious! This is my go to Kadhi recipe. Thank you!
thanks for the feedback monu.
Hi dassana!!
I follow your recipes and always find good results. My kadhi turned a little sweet. What could be the reason and how can I improve this??
thanks priya. the curd must not be sour. in that case, try adding some amchur/dry mango powder.
Your recipe is awesome 🙂
thanks angshu
Hi Dassana …Your recipes are awesum..hv tried out your Kadhai Paneer,Wadi Lauki ,Gajar matar and many others an dit turns out well everytyime..Thanks 2 ur clear explanation 🙂
Just wanted to add a few comments on the Kadhi
1. In my in laws place ,we add a pinch of ajwain while tempering .This lends a unique flavour
2. After the curry is done, we temper dry chili,ghee, jeera powder and a pinch of red chili powder in a wok and add that to the curry. It adds taste as well as flavour
thanks angshu for the feedback on the recipes. also thanks for sharing your tips. it will help the readers too. ajwain is new to me. i will try adding ajwain next time. i know about the second tempering part. i am sure it will definitely make the kadhi more flavorful.
Dear,
once Again… Lovely recipie… Toooooo good….
thanks hetal
I love kadhi – although I only make the gujarati kadhi- I never knew how punjabis make theirs but my kadhi always tends to curdle in the US, especially if I try to bring to a boil. Do you have a remedy for that? Thanks.
P.S. I am going to have to the try the punjabi kadhi one of these days! It looks yummy!
if you add enough of gram flour, then the kadhi will not curdle. also try to use full fat curd.
Hi Dassana, I live in New Zealand and was so excited to try out your Punjabi Kadhi recipe!
Beautifully illustrated and excellently well written out recipe. Was so easy to follow. You have me hooked now. Can’t wait to try out some of your other recipes. Looking for a good palak paneer one which am sure you have.
Just made the Kadhi and it’s come out so well. Thank you for making it so easy to follow.
Cheers
Anita
welcome anita. good to know. thanks for sharing positive feedback. here is the link for palak paneer recipe – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/palak-paneer/
Yum
One of my favourite… n ur recipe is awesome… just a little suggestion… i usually give a tarka of oil, whole red chillies, zeera and curry leaves right after adding pakoras… adds to aroma n taste
Thanks Doctor. thanks for your suggestion. i know about it. it becomes more flavorful since twice tadka is given.
I love your all recepies
thanks toral
you could make the pakoras softer by adding a spoon of curd while mixing. this is from personal experience. the pakoras come out very soft
thanks preeti for sharing the tip.
Made the pakora curry and it came out amazing. Just like my in-laws make in India!! And the method for making pakoras worked out fabulously. Far better than dipping individualy in batter. Easier. Tastier too!!
thanks diane for sharing this positive feedback on kadhi. glad to know your experience.
too much awesome and simple recipe …. i like it …….
thanks shabnumjalali
I tried it came out v well. everyone at home too liked it. curry gets ready in few minutes. Its of late its one of the most sought after curries. thanks alot. keep going….
welcome sheema. thanks for sharing this positive feedback.
I like your recipe. I live in surinam, south amerika and want to make kadhi. Here they make it without curd but we put slices of green mango in the dal to make it sour.
thanks maureen. good to know this info.
Its same recipe the way my mom cook dassana . loved it . you have not mentioned the proportion of curd to be mixed with one cup of besan.so would like to know fine proportion of curd besan and water
i made the curd with half litre milk. i have not measured it in cups or grams. but i think it should be around 250 gms of curd. so the amount of besan and water is same as mentioned in the recipe. also when cooking, the besan and water can always be adjusted. you can always add more besan or water to the kadhi.
Amazing Recipe……mouth watering, going to try it today !!!
thanks shalini
Hi Dassana,
Its been 4 months I have been cooking. You n my mom has been my guide for cooking anything n everything I feel like eating. Love ur recepies for their simplicity n amazing taste. I ve tried Punjabi kadhi pakoda, many other curries, chutney recepies from you. Cooking has got added to d list of my hobbies. Thank you so much for making me capable of cooking n eating anything I want.
thats so sweet rajashri. feeling good to read your comment. also it feels nice that cooking has been added to your list of hobbies. really it inspires & encourages me when i get comments like yours 🙂
Hey, I’m a huge fan!!! Urs is the site I open first thing in the morning before I decide what to cook for both our tiffins.
I’m gonna try your punjabi kadhi today.
Just one more thing, off late when I open ur site some requests for mobile downloads keep popping up and redirect me to some other page. It just keeps discouraging me to use the site on my mobile. Not sure if it’s the advertisements. Pls take a look.
Thanks,
Deeksha
thanks deeksha for the positive feedback. about the popup we are not aware of this issue. thanks for letting us know. we will check it and try to solve it soon. we appreciate your feedback.
Hey, Thanks! I did not encounter the issue when I launched the site now.
welcome deeksha. thanks for this update. some script must be causing this problem. we corrected some scripts recently.
How many cups of yoghurt do i use for the above recipe.
about 2 to 2.5 cups curd
Thx for the recipe.. came out really yummy..the way my mil used to make 🙂 However I had to add 3 cups more water to adjust to 1 cup besan.
welcome tina. thanks for sharing your feedback.
We tried it at home… Its awesome!! Just mind blowing…
Thank you a lot for the step wise details…
Its really yummy!!
-to the person who posted this delicious recipe…
welcome dikshitha. glad to read your positive feedback on kadhi.
One of the best description, as to,how to cook. Keep up the good work.
thanks abdul
I love you! your day to day easy recipes are awesome. I know many of these already but learning them from some one else’s style is always awesome. keep it up
thanks saadia.
Awesome recipe with clear instructions. Thanks for sharing.
welcome shwetha
Its fantastic. each step clearly described. pic. says every thing. thanks
welcome krishna
Two days back, I was tempted to make kadhi and after a tips from a Gujarati family, I tried and bitterly failed, as it was testing like something else. I checked up with a catering personal, and his recipe also not test like Kadhi. Only after reading your recipe, I could know where I was wrong. Thanks a lot and kip it up.
With Regards
B.D.Patro
Welcome B.D.Patro. glad to know that the recipe helped in clearing your doubt. happy cooking.
very nice
I was searching for the authentic north Indian Kadhi recipe. Than I found your recipe with great pictures. Though I am from north India but living in America since long time. It is hard to find Kadhi on the menu in indian restaurants in USA. Some times it is sold as ready to eat frozen packets in some Indian /Pakistani grocery stores, but do not taste good and often loaded with preservatives. So I decided to follow your recipe and I am glad every one in the family enjoyed it. But I only have one comment as I think in authentic north Indian kadhi they do not add curry leaves (Kadhi patta), even jeera and garlic. Even I have tasted kadhi seasoned with fried onion in north indian homes. But Dasanaji thanks for your recipe with pictures.
welcome sanjeev for this positive feedback and your inputs. i agree with you that curry leaves are not added as they are not easily available in the north india. but my mil adds the curry leaves as she has access to a curry leaves tree near by and it is good for digestion also. about garlic and jeera i am not sure.. but they are added in many north indian and punjabi recipes.
actually meri wife apne maike gaye hai, so Mujhe khane ki problem ho rahi thi. Roz Roz kya banaye Phir socha kadi banaye jaye or recipe search ki to aapki recipe mili. to mene socha yahi best hai kyunki jab pics dekhne me itni tasty Dikh rahi hai to khane me Kitni tasty hogi. then finally maine as per ur instructions kadi banaye and my god it’s very tasty.
thanks Dasana for this.
welcome shahbuddin.
I want to thank you! We enjoyed the kadhi. I made it as a part of Blogging Marathon for Indian Sates. I wanted to thank you for the recipe and tell you that I have credited it back to you when it goes live on 23rd. Thanks a lot.
thanks archana. alright no issues.
I made ur kadhi yesterday…n it was really mind blowing. Thank u so much for this amazing recipe.
welcome khushi.
Hi dassana, I started learning to cook a few months back and I always try and search for ur receipes,however I wanted to make Sindhi kadhi so wanted to Know if u can help me wid ur receipe 🙂
sindhi kadhi is made with besan and mixed veggies. yogurt is not added in it. i plan to add the recipe soon.
Thanks … Kadhi was great. Pakoda not done properly (my mistake only.. i think besan was lil extra). Still half of pakoda i finished even before preparation of kadhi.
Tomorrow i am going to try Dal Makhni !!
thanks aneesh and do try the dal makhani.
Hi.
I am a keralite, non vegetarian, presently in Abu Dhabi, UAE living as a marriged bachelor. For a change, i decided to be a vegetarian for 41days (from 16 november to 26 Dec).Each day i made a different vegetarian North Indian item with good success rate and completed 31 days and now my options are almost over. this morning i thought of trying kadi pakoda this evening. On my first search i got this link. Dassana, I loved your lovely joyful narration & pics and decided to post my comment, defenitely i will try this evening as i already have all the ingredients.
thanks aneesh. thats a good change. i hope the kadi pakoda was good.
how much curd did you use? and can you use greek yoghurt as a substitute?
i made the curd at home using 500 ml full fat milk. its about 2 to 2.25 cups of curd. i have heard about greek yogurt and its very thick. thats what i know. have never tried making anything with it. you can try making the kadhi with greek yogurt.
great job done, thanks for sharing….
welcome nadia
It’s good to understand.
Thankyou for writting in good steps
welcome ritu
This recepie sounds good. I have my own khadhi pakora recepie which is slightly different. I add cilantro/fresh dhania to my curd before putting on the pot. Try that it tastes good.
hi, can u jst tel me wat changes i need to do for to prepare maharastrian khadi…
i will post the recipe in some time.
What I have eaten in my childhood in our house and a few other Punjabi households, is quite different
a. The pakoras were invariably plain ‘besan’ (chickpea flour) and not with onions
b. The tadka (tempering) did not use garlic, only ginger.
c. The curry leaf was unknown in the Punjab and hence not used.
However, the recipe is very good, notwithstanding my comments.
there are many variations of the pakora. the kadhi or yogurt sauce is more or less the same in all households. in our very much punjabi home, the pakoras are always made with onions. for the tadka too we use both ginger and garlic. and the curry leaf part is my mother in law’s added secret ingredient in the recipe. though when we don’t get curry leaves, we don’t add them.
I tried this before but today I made it as per instructions
The flavor from onions and garam Masala was really yummy
ur pics speak a thousand words
Thanks for inspiring me
Lakshmi
welcome lakshmi
Dear Dassana,
Your explanation and photography is awesome. Very nicely written blog. Congrats!!!
thanks dejenny
Dear Dassana,
I made Kadhii-pakora yesterday at home as per your recipe. I received lots of appreciation from family members (Specially from my wife) and neighbors. Thanks a lot.
Keep Cooking,
thanks ravindra
how long should I cook the Kadhi ?
I make Kadhi in same manner. but it does not turn out tasty
you will have to cook till the whole kadhi comes to a boil and them simmer on a low or medium flame for 8-10 minutes or more till the kadhi thickens. the punjabi kadhi should thicken and the flavors should all be mingled with each other.
Thanks dassana for reply
welcome rohini.
oh hello Dassana, i stumbled upon yr site by chance, looking 4 kadhi-pakora, n am glad i did. yr ‘WALK ME THRU THE RECIPE” style with gr8 pics is fab, am goin to try kadhi tom. i look 4ward to chking out more recipes frm u, in next few days. i hav a question– for punjabi kadhi, can i use the whey liquid leftover after making butter from malai?if so, how much to use, n do i still hav to add dahi to it? i hav a large amt of it n dont know what to do with it. any other suggestions? pls let me know asap. thnx, Shobhini. (since i am talking to u for the 1st time, happy new yr to u.)
thanks shobhini. you can use the buttermilk. but it has to be sour. if its not sour, then you can add some curd to make it sour. basically the consistency has to like that of chaas.
the buttermilk can be flavored with ginger/mint/roasted cumin powder/black salt and had as a cooling drink. you can also make khandvi (a gujarati dish) or even dhokla with it. other options are to add it to the atta or paratha dough instead of water. buttermilk can be added to cakes and breads and they give a nice texture. lastly you can make buttermilk biscuits. happy new year to you too.
Hi Dassana, I was searching for the recipe of khandvi in your website and just got this recipe as a result as you have mentioned it in your comment below. Could you please put up that recipe, if and when possible? I would really appreciate that! Thanks so much!
khandvi recipe is still in the pipeline nandita. i plan to make a video post of khandi and post soon.
Yes! Dassana, I tried the Kadi is it spelt- D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Thanks:)
thats great family cook. will check your post soon.
the pictures r looking awsome..
so tempting that i must try……………
thanks sree. this is a really good recipe of punjabi kadhi pakora. you should try this one.
Hi Dassana
Mouthwatering photos. Will surely try this out. Infact being a South Indian I love North Indian food. Tks
thanks. do make the punjabi kadhi and do let me know.
hi dassana
I made your kadhi yesterday again and it tasted sooo delicious as i remembered my mom when she used to make this kadhi chawal. This time instead of onion pakoras i made mixed veg pakoras and dipped in the kadhi. It was so tasty and good for my luch box also as summers have set in good for our tummy also.
ur site is a saviour.
thanks and take care
thanks sunita for trying the kadhi recipe and also commenting back on the post. the kadhi goes well with any pakoras. in fact i have made it with palak pakora too. kadhi is excellent for the summer. some more curd recipes are waiting to be posted.
I am definitely gonna try tho one soon:)
do try and share your feedback.
can I use buttermilk instead and how much
jas, you can use buttermilk…. for this recipe, 2 to 2.5 cups of buttermilk would be fine.
simply awesome….made it yest,,turned out perfect
good Jg…..
Hello, I made this yesterday,,the pictures are really helpful ,,,Awesome recipes…Kadhi was simple and very tasty,,thank u v much ,,Keep posting pls.
great to know this Jg. thanks dear.
HI DASSANA
happy new to yr 2 u and i tried out this recipe as i had invited my neighbours for lunch and was wondering what veg to make my goodness dassana it turned out so good good that everyone was asking for more the next day. thanks a lot dassana kepp posting lovely recipes
lv sunita
happy new year to you too sunita.
i feel good that the punjabi kadhi turned out great. i have made a new year resolution to post at least 2 or 3 recipes a week. i hope i can follow it.
2-3 recipes a week wow thats a good bonus for all of us no worries for cooking veg food.
thanks again. Can you give the recipe of palak paneer this whole season of winter i cudnt make the reason for not having a proper delicious recipe. As my hubby loves palak paneer.
Will wait for the recipe thanks again
lv sunita
i hope i can somehow manage to keep 2-3 recipes going per week. i plan to make palak paneer, but a little later.
Happy new year to you Dassana and to Amit,
Love your website, very well presented with your step by step pictures. Looks delicious. Yam Yam.. With love, Tamara
hey tamara… happy new year to you. hope you are good.
thanks for your positive comments tamara. take care and be in touch.
love
dassana
Hey Dassana, great post and real authentic recipe, loved your step by step pics…really easy for people to understand and follow….
thanks anamika.
Just mouthwatering…looks so easy to prepare & delicious!
fabulous receipe dassana btw what does your name signify?? keep posting looks tempting too
thanks neela.
my name is a buddhist word in pali language which means “search for insight”.
Many thanks for your wonderful, lovingly made site. Your combination of description & photos is entrancing—the photos are very helpful in their detail and some are very beautiful just as photos.
I visited here for the first time today and look forward to trying many of the recipes!
thanks alastair.
It is a very good authentic recipe.only I have eaten at panjabi families and
they add big cardmom ,Clove and cinnamon as well.
even this punjabi kadhi, i had for the first time at my punjabi sasural and was simply bowled over by the kadhi. at home in the kadhi we generally do not add whole garam masala. thats why we add garam masala powder.
but one can add whole garam masala if garam masala powder is not available.
Excellent recipe! Easy to follow. I will definitely be trying this recipe over the week-end and recommend it to my friends. Thanks so much.
thanks katie.
Tried this recipe,awesome! 🙂
thanks nidhi