Punjabi Kadhi is a North Indian classic dish made with thick gram flour or besan-based curry yoghurt and the influence of aromatic spices. Punjabi Kadhi can be relished as a comfort food to be steamed over rice or rotis, which quite often happens to be known for its tangy, mildly spiced flavours. Added crispy pakoras of fried gram flour fritters do make up for its texture. To prepare the Punjabi Kadhi recipe, mix 2 cups of yoghurt with 4 tablespoons of gram flour and whisk it smooth. Add water to it to make a little runny consistency and keep it aside. Then, in a deep pan, heat oil followed by adding mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves. Let them splutter. Now add very finely grated onions, ginger, and garlic along with the green chilies. Saut till onions turn golden brown. Add in the yoghurt mixture and stir constantly so that it does not form lumps. Add your favourite spices like turmeric, red chili powder, salt, or whatever you like. Simmer this on low flame for about 30 to 40 minutes sometimes stirring in between so that the richness of the kadhi enriches and the consistency thickens. Mix gram flour along with spices and water and prepare a batter. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil and then fry till they become golden and crispy. Then add the fried pakoras to the simmering kadhi and cook it for another 10 minutes. Serve Punjabi Kadhi hot, garnished with fresh coriander for the full meal.

• 1.5 cup curd
• Salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tbsp hing
• Besan
• 1 1/3 cup onion
• 1/2 tsp ajwain
• Cooking oil
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 8-10 fenugreek seeds
• 2 green chillies
• 2 dry red chilli
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 10 curry leaves

• Punjabi Kadhi is a very popular North Indian dish. The tangy yoghurt-based curry (kadhi) and gram flour fritters (pakoras) come together perfectly in a dish.
• This is a comfort food loaded with flavours and served at home.
• Here is how to make this wonderful dish step by step.
• You need 1.5 cups of sour curd, which is full-fat yoghurt or sour yoghurt, as the base of the kadhi.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the yoghurt smooth.
• Add slowly 3 cups of water to it so that you get the desired consistency of neither too thick nor too thin.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, a pinch of asafoetida (hing), and 1 to 1.5 teaspoon salt according to taste and mix.
• Add eight tablespoons of gram flour (besan) and mix everything well so that there are no lumps.
• The mixture will be a foundation of the kadhi.
• Now, while making the kadhi, add onion pakoras to add texture and flavour to your dish.
• For the pakoras, take 150 gms or 1 cup of thinly sliced onions in a bowl.
• Sprinkle over 1 cup of besan, along with 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain), and ⅔ to ¾ teaspoon salt.
• Toss well and then add about ¼ cup of water.
• Mix and adjust the water if needed.
• It should come close to a batter-like consistency that coats the onions well.
• Heat the mustard, sunflower, or any neutral oil you like for shallow or deep frying. When hot, carefully drop spoonfuls of the onion-besan mixture into the oil and fry them until they turn golden brown and crispy.
• Remove the pakoras from the oil and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
• While you finish the kadhi, set aside.
• Now time to prepare the kadhi.
• In another pan, heat two tablespoons of mustard oil or sunflower oil over medium flame.
• Chop ⅓ cup of onions (around one small to medium onion), one tablespoon of chopped ginger, and ¾ to 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic.
• Saut until the onions become translucent.
• Now add 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds), two chopped green chillies (or one teaspoon of serrano peppers), and two dry red chillies (broken with their seeds removed).
• The blend of these spices will give you a pungent flavour profile.
• Add one teaspoon of cumin seeds and a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing), followed by 8 to 10 curry leaves or one sprig of curry leaves.
• Let these contents saut for a minute until they develop their aromatic fragrance.
• When the spices are done, pour in the yoghurt mixture into the pan.
• Keep stirring constantly to avoid curdling of the yoghurt.
• Put the mixture on gentle boil, then simmer on low flame.
• Let it cook for about 20-30 minutes, and keep stirring every 5 minutes
• Letting the flavours develop and kadhi thicken to your liking. If it is too thick, add more water and adjust to your taste of liquid or soluble texture
• Finally, when kadhi is done, add the prepared onion pakoras into the hot boiling curry and let soak for a few minutes before serving
• This allows the pakoras to absorb flavours and at the same time stay crispy.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
• Serve Punjabi Kadhi hot with steaming rice or roti; nothing can be as comforting and sumptuous as it would be for family and friends!
• The recipe of Punjabi Kadhi combines a rich, spiced yoghurt curry with deliciously crispy onion fritters, making it a beloved comfort food in Indian households.