One of the popular North Indian dishes – Punjabi Kadhi Pakora, is a delicious delicacy effortless to make and delicious to eat. Deep-fried onion fritters are dunked in a yogurt-based curry made using besan (gram flour) and aromatic spices. 

According to a theory, the origins of kadhi take us to the dairy-rich, grain-based land of Rajasthan.

Here, buttermilk and yogurt are in abundance and make up for the scarcity of water, along with plenty of chickpeas. Digestive spices like fenugreek (methi) and asafoetida (hing) help digestion and keep your gut health top-notch. 

Delicious and Tasty Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Recipe! 

If you are looking for India’s quintessential comfort food, you will find kadhi on most regions’ menus. Be it spicy and flavorful Rajasthani kadhi, thin, pale, and distinctly sweet Gujarati kadhi, or our favorite, thick, creamy Punjabi kadhi with crispy pyaaz ke pakode (onion fritters) – this dish has myriads of flavors and looks!

Here, we will help you make the Punjabi kadhi pakora at your home. Typically, it is served as a side dish to the steamed rice along with roti or chapati. Unlike any other Indian dal recipe, it is popular due to the combination of curry and deep-fried, crunchy pakoras. 

So, let’s see how you can bring Northern India’s flavors to your dining table and make this delicious recipe! 

Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

Quick Stats 

Prep time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 1 hour

Servings: 7 servings 

Ingredients 

For the Pakora

  • 1 cup thinly sliced onions
  • 1 cup besan (gram flour)
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
  • ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
  • Salt, as required
  • ¼ cup water or add as required
  • mustard oil

For Curd Slurry 

  • 1.5 cups sour curd 
  • 3 cups water or add as required
  • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 
  • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
  • One generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoon salt 
  • Eight tablespoon gram flour (besan)

For Kadhi 

  • ⅓ cup chopped onions
  • One tablespoon chopped ginger
  • ¾ to 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 8 to 10 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
  • Two green chilies – chopped 
  • Two dry red chilies, broken and deseeded 
  • One teaspoon of cumin seeds
  • One generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  • 8 to 10 curry leaves 
  • Two tablespoons of mustard oil

Method to Prepare 

Making Pakora For Kadhi

  • Take a bowl and add gram flour, carom seeds, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. 
  • Now, add the thinly sliced onions. 
  • Give them a good mix and let it sit covered for about half an hour. 
  • This will let the onions release their water into the mixture. Depending on the water content in the onions, your mix will become moist or just about moist. 
  • According to that, add water. You will want a thick batter. 
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadhai. Once the oil is medium hot, carefully drop the pakora batter in the oil. 
  • Turn them once they are partly cooked to fry the other side. Fry them until they are golden and crispy. 
  • Remove the fried pakora from the pan and put them on tissue paper to remove the extra oil.

Making Curd Slurry

  • Keep them aside once your pakora is ready, and let’s prepare for the curd slurry. Take a bowl and add sour curd. Whisk it until it is well smooth. 
  • Add gram flour, chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, and salt to the whisked curd. Give it a good stir and mix everything once again. 
  • Then, pour 3 cups of water and stir everything once again. 
  • Give a good stir as you will want to mix every ingredient well and avoid lumps. If there are lumps, then don’t worry. Break them with a wire whisk, spatula, or your fingers. 
  • Set it aside. 

Making Kadhi

  • Now, we will make kadhi. Take a pan and heat mustard oil. Ensure that you take a deep-bottomed pan so the kadhi does not spill while boiling.
  • Then, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and asafoetida. Let the cumin seed crackle and fenugreek seeds change their color. 
  • Ensure that you keep the flame on low as you don’t want to burn the spices. 
  • Then, add chopped onions and sauté for around 3 minutes on low-medium flame. 
  • Add chopped ginger, garlic, and green chilis. Sauté everything for another minute. 
  • After a minute, add curry leaves, dry red chilis, and sauté for another minute on low heat.
  • Then, carefully pour the curd slurry and stir well. 
  • Increase the heat to medium and bring kadhi to a boil. 
  • Stir continuously so that the bottom does not get browned. It will take around 15 minutes for your kadhi to get ready. 
  • Once the kadhi has come to a boil, reduce the flame and cook for another 6 minutes. It will thicken your kadhi.

Making Kadhi Pakora

  • Once everything is ready, add the onion pakora to the kadhi and gently stir it. 
  • Cover it and let the pakora soak the kadhi for around 10 minutes. 
  • Lastly, sprinkle some homemade garam masala and serve it with steamed rice with a few teaspoons of ghee on top. 
  • Enjoy! 

Must Check: Dalwada Recipe: Crunchy And Tasty Indian Breakfast Recipe!

Final Words

Punjabi kadhi pakora is a popular North Indian dish of onion fritters dipped in a spiced yogurt sauce. It is best enjoyed with steamed rice or your favorite rice and chapati. So, try this delicious kadhi recipe and bring North Indian flavors to your dining table!