Punjabi Kadhi Recipe

Roti, dal and vegetable we almost eat daily. But if you like to have something different in your lunch or dinner, kadhi pakoda is the one which I would like to suggest. Kadhi pakoda is often made at our home and my husband just love it! It is a classic dish of Punjab and is famous throughout India.

Serves: 4
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For Pakodas
2 cups gram flour (besan)
¾ cup water
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
a pinch of asafoetida/hing
½  tsp turmeric powder
Salt as per taste
Oil for deep frying

For Kadhi
2 1/2 tbsp Gram flour (Besan)
1 cup sour curd (khatti dahi)
2 dry red chili whole (sabut lal mirch)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp ginger chopped
2 tsp garlic chopped
1 green chili 
2 tbsp oil or ghee
Water

For Tempering
1 tsp of ghee
½ tsp red chili powder

Method

For Pakodas
1.In a bowl, mix besan, turmeric, carom seeds, asafoetida and water to make a thick and smooth batter. Whip the batter for 1-2 minutes in a circular motion with a spoon until light and fluffy.
(Note: To check if the batter became fluffy or not, take a cup of water and put a big drop of batter in it. If the dropped batter floats over the water surface, it means the batter is ready to make soft and fluffy pakodas.)
2.In a wok, heat oil over medium heat. To test the heat, put one drop of batter in the oil. The batter should form a slight round ball on the surface of the oil.

3.Put batter using a spoon in the oil. Fry the pakodas turning them over till golden brown.
4.Take out the pakodas from the wok and put them in a plate.

For Kadhi
1.In a large bowl, take besan, curd/yoghurt, turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder. Mix them well until smooth. Make sure there are no lumps. If there are lumps, dissolve them well.

2.Heat the oil over medium heat in a wok or pan. Once the oil becomes hot, add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida, bay leaves, whole red chillies, chopped garlic and ginger. Stir for a few seconds until the raw smell of garlic and ginger disappears.
3.Add besan and yogurt mixture to the wok and keep stirring. Then, add 2-3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Afterwards, bring the heat to medium low, add the pakodas, and let it cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(Note: You can add onion pakodas or palak pakodas to kadhi, if you like.)

For Tempering
1.Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a small pan. Once the ghee becomes hot put off the heat.   Add red chilli powder to it.
2.Pour it over the kadhi when ready to serve.

Now, kadhi pakoda is ready to be served with steamed rice, roti, naan or parathas.