Kadhi Pakore is one of the most famous side dish of North India. It is famous in most parts of Punjab. It is made up of besan/gram flour fritters cooked in the sour curd curry. Kadhi refers to the curd curry and pakore are the besan/gram flour fritters. Kadhi Pakore is made in most of the Indian homes. In my house, Kadhi Pakore is made every once a week or once in two weeks. The real trick behind making the perfect and tasty Pakora Kadhi is simmering the pakore in the curd curry for few minutes to let the pakore/fritters absorb the sour and tangy curd curry.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 04

Course: Main Course/ Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients:

Besan/ Gram Flour                                                       2 cups+ 5 tbsp

Finely Diced Onions                                                     1 cup

Red Chili Powder                                                         ½ tsp

Carom Seeds                                                                ½ tsp

Salt to Taste

Yogurt/ Curd                                                                 3 cups

Ginger Garlic Paste                                                      3 tbsp

Dried Red Chilies                                                          2

Turmeric Powder                                                         1 tsp

Baking Soda                                                                  ½ tsp

Mustard Seeds                                                             1 tsp

Asafetida                                                                       ¼ tsp

Garam Masala                                                             1 tsp

Curry Leaves                                                                 10-15

Water as Required

Oil as required

Directions:

1. Reserve the 5 tbsp of besan for the curry/kadhi. In a bowl take the rest of the besan/gram flour to make the fritters/pakore. To the besan/gram flour, add ½ cup of diced onions, carom seeds, red chili powder, baking soda and salt to taste. Now add a generous amount of water to make a thick paste and mix well. When the batter is ready keep it aside for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile heat oil to fry the pakore/fritters in a frying pan. When the oil gets heated, take small portions of pakora batter and drop into the oil and fry the pakora. You can also drop the batter into the oil using a spoon. Fry the pakora/ fritters till golden brown and crispy on medium low heat. When all the pakoras are fried keep them aside on a kitchen towel.
3. Now heat a kadhai or a pan on low heat. When the kadhai is heated dry roast the reserved besan/gram flour till the rawness of flour is gone or till the flour changes its color. While dry roasting the flour stir continuously to prevent the flour from burning. When the flour is roasted well keep it aside.
4. Take a bowl, pour the curd into it, add 1 cup of water and the dry roasted beasn/gram flour to the curd and whisk well till all lumps are gone. This curd mix will be used to make the curd curry/kadhi.
5. Heat the kadhai again on medium low heat, add oil to the hot kadhai. When the oil gets heated, add asafetida, mustard seeds to the oil and let the seeds crackle. Then add dry red chilies, curry leaves to the oil and let the oil temper. Add the remaining diced onions and ginger garlic paste to the oil. Fry them till golden brown. Also add the turmeric to the masala.
6. Then add the curd mix and bring it to boil. Also add the salt to taste. When the curd mix comes to boil, add the pakore/ fritters to the curry/ kadhi and let the curry simmer for some time on low heat till the kadhi gets thick. Simmering the kadhi on low heat lets the pakore/fritters absorb the kadhi. It makes soft and juicy pakora/fritters.
7. When the kadhi becomes thick and pakore/fritters absorb the kadhi well, sprinkle the garam masala, mix well but don’t let the pakore/fritters break. Remove the pakore kadhi from the heat and serve it hot with chawal/rice or roti/chapatti. Pakore Kadhi is popularly served with boiled rice and known as Kadhi Chawal.

Tips: Size of pakore/fritters depends on your likings. But I recommend making tiny pakoras as they absorb the curry to the fullest. This results in tasty and soft pakore kadhi.