Kadhi Pakora
Such a simple humble dish made with gramflour(besan) and yoghurt, from Punjab.. variations of this dish is found in most of the other states in India. In kerala, it is without the gramflour and is called moru curry. Maharashtra , Gujarat have their own versions of the kadhi. There is also the famous Sindhi Kadhi with a medley of vegetables.
The Kadhi Pakora is a hearty warming dish perfect for the wintery chills we are experiencing in the UAE now. The crispy leaves of fried spinach pakoras(fritters) and the silky smoothness of the kadhi is to die for!! The entire family loves this dish ! Best served with a steaming hot bowl of rice.
I have a personal preference for how the pakoras should be cooked. I love how spinach leaves taste when it is fried and crisp, so I prefer the gramflour to barely coat the leaves when Im shaping into pakoras. With the kadhi, you have to be careful about the temperature when adding the yoghurt mix else it will curdle. The fried onions and chillis is a purely optional step, you can get away with that but I love the robustness and extra flavour it gives the kadhi. Make sure the temperature of the pan is not too hot before you add the yoghurt mix to it to avoid it from curdling. Also, once the yoghurt is in the pan do not move away. Stay there and keep a hawk eye on it, speaking from past experience – it only takes a couple of seconds of distraction for the yoghurt to curdle and lose its silky smooth consistency😰.
There are lot of tips on the internet about not adding salt to the yoghurt mix and only adding it after the mixture is properly cooked. Personally, I have been ok adding salt earlier. But if you have a preferred method do stick to it or lean on the side of caution.
Kadhi Pakora
Ingredients
- 1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 1/2 cup besan
- 1 green chilli chopped
- 1 cup yoghurt
- 1-2 cups water
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp hing
- 1 tsp cumin and ajwain/caraway seeds
- 1-2 tbsp oil
For the pakoras
- 1 bunch spinach leaves, washed, drained and chopped
- 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp hing or asofetida powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp chopped onions
- 1 green chilli chopped finely
- 2 tbsp hot oil
- 1/4-1/2 cup besan (may need more depending on spinach quantity)
- salt to taste
For tempering
- 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2-3 dried red chillies
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
- 1/2 tsp hing
- 1 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder
Instructions
- Making Pakoras – Mix all the ingredients for the pakora. Add besan until the pakoras hold shape when you press them into a ball.
- Fry them in hot oil, turning occasionally until nicely browned. Drain and set aside
- In a bowl, whisk yoghurt and gram flour with some turmeric and salt. Add the ajwain or caraway seeds and whisk until smooth. Add atleast 1-2 cups of water to dilute this mix as the gram flour will make it thicker when cooked.
- In a pan, add 1-2tbsp oil and lightly fry onions, chopped green chillies until onions are soft
- Lower the heat and add the yoghurt gram flour mix, stirring continuously every 2-3 minutes so that it does not split. cook for 5-7 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened and the mix does not taste of raw gram flour. add coriander leaves just before you take it off the heat.
- In a separate pan, heat the remaining oil and add all the ingredients for the tempering except the chilli powder. Switch off the flame and add the red chilli powder to ensure it does not burn. pour the tempering over the yoghurt gramflour mix and stir to mix everything. garnish with some more coriander leaves.
- Add the fried pakoras to the kadhi just before serving to preserve its crispness or you can serve them separately as well.
