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Prep Time
20 mins -
Cooking Time
45 mins -
Serves
5-6 -
Cuisine
Indian
Punjabi kadhi pakore is a delicious dish enjoyed best with steamed white rice, roti or parathas. The dumplings called “pakore” are made with gramflour, fried and then cooked in a sour yoghurt-gramflour gravy. There are different ways of making Kadhi depending on which part of India one is from. This version is my Mom’s recipe that I have relished since childhood and is usually made in Punjabi households.
What you will need
For Pakore
For Kadhi
For Tempering
How to make
- For the pakore, mix all the ingredients listed under “Pakore” (except water and oil). Whisk in water little bit at a time to avoid lumps. The batter should bind all ingredients but the consistency should not be too thick or runny. Leave for 5 minutes. Then deep fry small-ball sized pakore in hot oil until golden-brown. Drain and keep aside on a paper-towel.
- For kadhi, mix all ingredients listed in “Kadhi” except water. Then add water little bit at a time until there are no lumps. The batter should have runny consistency since it will get thick when cooked.
- In a large pan, heat 3 tbsp oil and add all the ingredients of “tempering”. Sauté until onions turn pink. Then turn heat to medium-low and add the kadhi mixture. Stir continuously and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes stirring every 2-3 minutes until the kadhi looks creamy in texture.
- Add fried pakore to kadhi and cook for another 15 minutes. Do not stir too much after adding pakore as they make break when soft. Serve hot.
Tips & Alternatives to try
- If the yoghurt is not sour, you can add a piece of tamarind or 1 tbsp of tamarind pulp to the kadhi. You can also use buttermilk instead of yoghurt. If using buttermilk, reduce the amount of water in kadhi accordingly.
- In the first 15 minutes of cooking kadhi, stir continuously since the yogurt can break down and kadhi won’t be creamy in texture.
- Always use a large pan to make kadhi since it can boil over in the first few minutes if not stirred continuously.
- You can add 1 tbsp of ghee or clarified butter in the end just before serving. This gives the Kadhi a deeper flavor.