Punjabi Kadhi

Many regions in India have their own style of cooking Kadhi, a yogurt based curry (or soup). Punjabi Kadhi is easily recognizable because it has Pakodas, fried dumplings made of chickpea flour. Punjabi Kadhi can be enjoyed with plain white rice or chapati. Try this tangy and delicious recipe for Punjabi Kadhi.

For the Pakodas:

Ingredients:

Chickpea Flour (Besan) – 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Salt – to taste
Water – 1/4 cup
Baking Soda – 1/4 tsp
Potato – 1 medium, diced
Onion – 1/2 medium, diced
Cilantro – few sprigs, chopped
Oil – for deep frying

Method: (Heat Oil for Deep Frying)

1. In a medium bowl, mix together Chickpea Flour, Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Salt, Baking Soda and Water.
2. Mix well to form thick batter.
3. Add in Potatoes, Onions and Cilantro. Mix to coat evenly.
4. With your hand or a spoon, drop a small ball of the mixture into hot oil and deep fry until golden brown.
5. Remove Pakodas onto a plate lined with paper towels. Keep aside.

For the Kadhi:

Ingredients:

Plain Yogurt – 2 cups
Water – 4 cups
Ginger – 2 tsp, minced
Garlic – 1 Tbsp, minced
Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Methi) – 2 Tbsp (divided)
Chickpea Flour (Besan) – 1/2 cup
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together Yogurt, Ginger, Garlic, 1/3 of the Fenugreek Leaves, Chickpea Flour, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala, Turmeric Powder and Cumin Powder.
2. Add a small amount of water and blend with a hand blender until there are no more lumps.

For the seasoning:

Ingredients:

Oil – 1 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Dried Whole Red Chilies – 2, broken
Onion – 1 medium, sliced
Green Chilies – to taste, slit
Fenugreek Leaves – remaining from above
Salt – to taste
Water – 4 cups
Cilantro – few sprigs, chopped for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a pot.
2. Add Cumin Seeds and allow them to sizzle.
3. Add Fenugreek Seeds and Whole Red Chilies. Stir for few seconds.
4. Add Sliced Onions and Green Chilies. Saute until lightly brown.
5. Add remaining 2/3 of Fenugreek Leaves and stir for 30 seconds.
6. Add Yogurt mixture, Water and Salt. Mix well.
7. Bring Mixture to a rolling boil.
8. Add in Pakodas, mix, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
9. Garnish with Cilantro and serve hot with Rice or chapati.

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81 thoughts on “Punjabi Kadhi

  1. Respected Hetalji,

    our all of most recipes are good and better. I always try it in my home.

    I need to make perfect measurements of maharastrian gola masalo, kashmiri masalo & bangali masalo of only veg.

    I am veg. food girl. so I need this recipes.

    Neha

  2. Hi!
    I thought the addition of dried methi leaves made it a little bitter. 🙁 maybe adding them in the last stage would make more sense.

  3. Hi,

    These dish has any connection with any festivals,Rituals and celebrations..a i am in urgent..pleas le me know as soon as possible..

  4. Hi
    WOOW………..I really liked this recipe………it turned out yummmy …….. I have tried many of your other recipes like quesidillas and burritos…all are good.

  5. Hi
    I really liked this recipe………it turned out yummmy and different from regular kadhi which we prepare. I have tried many of your other recipes like quesidillas and burritos…all are good.

    1. Hi Pooja,

      You can use Greek yogurt in most recipes that call for regular yogurt. The only difference is that Greek yogurt is much thicker because the whey has been strained out.

  6. Dear Hetal and Anuja,

    would the recipe works too with leftover Pakoras which I have made one day before?
    Thank´s for your answer!

  7. I’m usually a kadhi killer (every kadhi I’ve ever made has curdled and has a gross taste). However, this kadhi was simply outstanding! I baked the pakodis instead of deep-frying them and nobody could tell the difference. I love almost all recipes I’ve tried from this site. Thank you!

  8. I have the same problem. My kadhi consistency is right, and I know that the recipe is correct. But the kadhi just does not come out sour. I also find that the yoghurts bought from the indian shops are a bit on the sweeter side. Where do you recommend buying the yoghurt for kadhi from ?

    1. Hi Guddi,

      The sour flavor comes from the yogurt. If the yogurt is sour, the kadhi will be sour. You can leave the yogurt out at room temperature for a few hours to make it more sour. You can also add a pinch of citric acid to get the sour flavor. We make our own yogurt so you can control how sour it gets.

    1. Sour kadhi is a result of sour yogurt. If you leave your yogurt out at room temperature for awhile, it will gradually get more and more sour. If you are making homemade yogurt, leave it out to set longer to get more sour flavor. Finally, you can always add a pinch of citric acid to make it sour.

  9. Hey hetal n Anuja,
    I came across your site when I was looking for a recipe for dal makhni and trust me I haven’t looked back ever since.
    I hv tried several of dishes n am trying to learn at least one new dish everyday n trust me it’s working.
    I got s o many compliments for paneer butter masala. but am yet to try kadi.
    Let’s see n I just love u guys. Thanks for putting my interest back to cooking.

  10. Hi Hetal and Anuja,
    You two have become my new cooking gurus.I tried the Kadhi Pakodis today and my family loved it.You’ve also saved me from making a cooking diasaster this past weekend.I was making Dahi Vadas and untill I saw your video and realized that The reason my bhallas were turning into rocks was that I was adding very, very little water to my batter.I fixed my batter after viewing the video and finally managed to make decent dahi bhallas for the first time in many years.
    Thank you ,thank you,thank you.Keep up the great work and I know I will be using your website many many more times.

    Jyothi

  11. Hey Guys..
    loved ur reciepe.
    I tried to add some tomatoes(for sourness) or bottle gaurd(my fav veggie…goes in almost everything i cook) in stead of pakodas…and it turned out great..
    Thanks to u guys…lovely recipies
    Samatha

  12. Okay, now I have to try and figure this out. No matter how careful I am, the yogurt always curdles some when I put it in the dish. I’ve gotten to the point that I take the dish off the stove, cool it some, then temper the yogurt by adding some of the hot gravy to it before pouring it in, stirring all the while. It doesn’t curdle…yet. Then when I bring the heat back on it curdles almost immediately. I see your yogurt based sauces just bubbling away happily. What am I doing wrong! I’ve about given up on any yogurt based dishes. Should I be using full fat yogurt only? Plain rather than Greek style? Homemade only? Or do I have to be an Indian in order to get it to work? 😉

    1. Hi Kristin,

      No, you shouldn’t have to be Indian for your yogurt curries to work :). It seems like you are doing everything we do. The only difference is that we usually use homemade yogurt made with 2% milk. However, we have the same results with store bought yogurt and full fat yogurt as well. We have not used Greek yogurt for curries so if that is your only difference, please try regular plain yogurt.

  13. Thanks for the recipe, also could you tell me you buy the Garam Masala or you make it by yourself? As i read its ingredients changing by regions also may different at each family.
    Also I would like to see various spice mixture recipes too in your site if it’s possible. Thanks 🙂

  14. i love kadhi, but i don’t have idea that there are gujrati kadhi also , thanks . I enjoyed the kadhi.

  15. Hi Anuja & Hetal
    its a very tatsy dish & I need one favour from you is it possible to show me how I can make a Chickpea flour Laddu

    Thanks & Regards
    SANAFASI DUBAI

  16. Hi!

    I have just recently found your website. I live in the midwest, in a mid-sized city that does not have an Indian restaurant (we did have one but it closed – not sure why. I did try a couple of their dishes a few times….) I am excited to try some of your recipes. I am single and used to alot of takeout, so my cooking experience is a little limited, but your videos are so explicit and make it seem so easy. Oh, yeah, this recipe looks great! I will be trying it out in the next couple of days…

    Thanks!

  17. Hey Dearies,

    You guys are doing an awesome job.I truly appreciate the way you present the recipes in a very elaborative manner.

    Could you please suggest me a side dish to be served with kadhi chawal?

    Great going!

  18. I just cooked this dish. It tastes absolutely awesome!! I must admit, I was a little wary about coriander powder and garam masala in kadhi, but it really does give it that zing! I can’t wait for my hubby to taste it (if I can save him some of it, that is) 😉

  19. Hey! Hetal and Anuja,

    I made curry last evening and it was just awesome!! I was not very confident about my cooking when I was in India… but here I am getting so much confident about many of your recipies..my husband and friends just love it.

    I made these pakoras as starters in one of our get togethers…everybody liked it. I added little black salt to it.

    you both are just too good. God bless you!!!!!

    Love,
    -Veena

  20. Hi there,

    I made the kadhi receipe but it turned out clumpy and thick.Could it be because I added too much besan. I did

    1. Hi Rimmi,

      Yes, sounds like either too much besan, not enough water or not enough wisking (mixing) or the yogurt may have separated (heat was too strong?) …really that is all we can think of.
      Give it another shot and keep the above points in mind… 🙂

  21. don’t do what i did – i accidentally put in vanilla yogurt instead of plain yogurt. it still tastes strangely good! i just wouldn’t do it again. lol. i’m sorry i hope i’m not the only person that this has happened to.

  22. this was the first time i was making kadhi, i was really nervous, but the final outcome was simply superb. my hubby & i savoured the dish.. thanks to you both… dying to cook kadhi again….

  23. hi hetal-anuja…

    i tried this recipe and it turned out awesome. i always failed to get the right consistency. either it would be too watery or too thick. but with your recipe, the consistency was perfect. and the flavor is to die for. thankyou guys so much. you guys are awesome. i love your site and i am infact sharing it with lot of my indian and american friends too. 🙂

  24. Great recipe! I have a particularly sour batch of curd (I forgot about it for a few extra hours when making it!), and I’m making punjabi kadhi with it today–hope it turns out as good as yours looks. I sometimes like to add some curry leaves and mustard seeds to mine in the final tempering too.

    Quick question, I’ve noticed in several of your recipes your orange silicone(?) and stainless utensils, which look great and seem to work well in non-stick pans. Could you please let me know what brand these are made by, or where you got them from–I’ve looked for them through Amazon’s cooking section, and at Bed, Bath & Beyond and I can’t find them. Thanks!

    1. Hi Jim,

      We found our orange (red?) spatula from a Dollar store…believe it or not! Unfortunately, there is no brand name listed anywhere on the product and we cannot find it anymore.

  25. Quick question – when you make Kadhi, do you use store bought yogurt or do you use homemade yogurt?

    I am asking because I use the store bought one and I feel that it is usually not sour enough for Kadhi.

    1. Hi Rashmi,

      We almost always make our own yogurt. If the yogurt is not sour enough, you can leave it out of the fridge for an hour or so – it’ll help a little. You can also add a pinch of citric acid or a little lime/lemon juice.

  26. I tried this recipe yesterday for dinner and it came out very well, both I and my husband loved it. I want to know if there is any other way for pakora instead of deep frying, like baking ?

    1. I have a friend who used to cut a corn on the cob into 1-2 inch pcs. and add it to the kadhi and allow it to cook. Different but great for a change:)

  27. This recipe was good.The pakoras came out good even without the baking soda.It’s taste is not exactly like the punjabi kadhi..but I prefer it to that since it has so much more flavour.

  28. i wanted to tell you i like this recipe alot but you know i wanted to know if i want to put allo instead of pakora’s when do i put that in. thank you very much i like all of you recipes, i like them better then any of the other people

  29. I have lived in India for 5 years and absolutely love Indian food. I have noticed that like most of your other recipes, this kadhi recipe is sub-standard. Its a shame that you are making money out of this when your food is utterly unexciting and unauthentic. Shame on you Americans.

  30. Hi Anuja and haytel,
    u guys r really good.But I want to giv u on suggestion,when u cook pakodas for kadi or just pakodas also,instead of adding water to chickpeas flour add yoghurt.u will really feel the difference.trust me.adding a pinch of pice to u’r life.

  31. Hi Suheida,

    Baking Powder has Baking Soda in it as well as Cream of Tarter (acidifying agent) and starch (drying agent). Usually, Baking Soda mixed with something acidic such as buttermilk or yogurt will cause it to bubble up. In this case, we don’t want it to bubble up because we will be frying the pakodas. Using baking powder will probably yield dry pakodas. You have to use Baking Soda very sparingly or you will get the wierd baking soda flavor in your food.

  32. I have a really bad experience with baking soda, and I wanted to know if I could substitute it for baking powder when making the pakodas. I always get the weird baking soda taste everytime I use it.

  33. thank you both…….. i have enjoyed watching your cooking videos since yesterday when accidently i found it on the web. I love your friendly nature, and can tell you both seem to get along well…….. I will try and prepare some of your recipes. God bless you both…….

  34. this kadhi recipe is aweful….
    punjabi kadhi is not about only pakodas
    i wanna share real recipe….the kadhi base u made u have to keep it at low heat for an hour ….tht is the meaning of kadhi
    pakodas are just dipped in at the end so they retain their crunchy flavour
    i think u shud reshoot ur video!!

    1. did you even try this recipe? i am sure, not. even if you had an opinion, you could’ve said that in a civilized manner. people like you bring shame to whole lot of us. i am a punjabi, i tried this recipe, and it turned out great. cooking is all about trying new things and share it with the whole world.you dont have to be restricted in a specific mind set up. grow up, man. or dont share your rude opinions with anyone. keep it to yourself.

      1. Hi Bindu,
        No need to get hyper. He did not say anything bad for which you are exagerating it. You are right Jignesh. Punjabi kadhi is not only about pakoras. My mom used to cook it for atleast 45min and then used to put pakoras in it. Try it and you will get to know the difference. The Kadhi which Hetal and Anuja is not wrong. Its just that they added pakoras immediately after the mixture comes to a boil. Actually, it’s not like that. So, try to cook it that way. Happy cooking guys 🙂

        1. Nupur, Jignesh, apni gyan ki potli kahin aur le jayen.

          Girls (Anju, Hetal) love your videos and recipes. Also admire the fact how you do not get into unnecessary discussions with nups and jiggy kinda crowd. Kudos to both of you and your entrepreneurship. I have tried several of your recipes and love how simple you make some of the very complicated stuff which I would never have tried, if not for your encouraging videos.

    2. People like Jignesh are all around. Just ignore them…bottomline is that your site rocks and all your recipes turn out very good.

      I have tried this recipe and it turns out great.

  35. Hi Anuja & Hetal,
    Tried this one and it really turned out great. A good change from traditional Kadhi. Thanks

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