Kadhi pakora
Preparation Time
15 minutes
Cooking Time
25 minutes
Difficulty Level
moderate
Meal Type
Lunch
Serves 4
Key Ingredients
- Besan (chickpea flour), 1 cup for the pakoras and 1/2 cup for the kadhi
About This Recipe
Kadhi pakora is the full Punjabi version of kadhi: deep-fried onion pakoras in a thick, sour kadhi of besan and curd. The plain Gujarati kadhi is thin and sweet, meant to pour over rice; this one is a dish in its own right, and the pakoras are the point of it.
The two batters share one flour but do different jobs. The kadhi uses half a cup of besan whisked into curd and water until it simmers thick and creamy, while the pakora batter uses a full cup with just enough water to coat the onion, so the fritters fry light and crisp instead of dense. Whisk the kadhi paste smooth before the curd goes in, and it will never lump.
The pakoras go in twice: half into the simmering kadhi to soften, half on top at serving, so one bowl holds soaked and crisp bites together. Kasuri methi stirred into the kadhi gives the Punjabi note, and the ghee tempering of cumin, hing, dried chillies and ginger lands at the very end. To skip deep frying, bake spoonfuls of the pakora batter on a greased tray at 200 C for 12 to 15 minutes and drop the browned fritters in. Besan is chickpea flour; the besan hub covers the flour behind both batters.
Ingredient List
Serving Size:
1x
2x
3x
For the pakoras and the kadhi
- Besan (chickpea flour), 1 cup for the pakoras and 1/2 cup for the kadhi — 1 1/2 cup
For the pakoras
- Onion, thinly sliced, plus 1 green chilli, chopped — 1 medium
- Ajwain (carom seeds) — 1/2 tsp
- Salt (1/2 tsp for the pakoras, 1 tsp for the kadhi) — 1 1/2 tsp
For the kadhi
- Curd (dahi) — 2 cups
- Water, 1/3 cup for the pakora batter and 4 cups for the kadhi — 4 1/3 cup
- Turmeric Powder — 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli powder — 1/2 tsp
- Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) — 1 tbsp
For frying
- Groundnut oil for deep frying — 500 ml
- Groundnut oil absorbed while frying — 4 tbsp
For the tempering
- Ghee — 2 tbsp
- Cumin Seeds — 1 tsp
- Hing (asafoetida) powder — 1/4 tsp
- Dry red chillies — 2 piece
- Ginger, julienned — 1 tsp
Skip The Store !
Get all you need for the recipe in just a few clicks
Serving Suggestions
Serve over steamed rice with sliced onion and a spoon of ghee, or build a masala khichdi and kadhi meal by pairing it with the moong dal khichdi recipe. Leftover kadhi keeps for two days in the fridge and thickens as it sits, so thin it with hot water when you reheat it. The besan recipes roundup has the rest of the flour's dishes.
Tips for Cooking Kadhi pakora
Fry the pakoras on a steady medium flame: high heat browns the outside while the middle stays raw. Do not crowd the pan, or the oil cools and the pakoras drink it. Rest the fried pakoras on paper for a minute before they meet the kadhi, and keep a cup of hot water nearby, because the kadhi thickens as it simmers and again as it cools.
Chef’s Note
The fat in these numbers is honest: a serving of kadhi pakora comes to about 374 kcal, with 10.1 g protein and 4.9 g fibre, most of the fat being the frying oil the pakoras soak up. Shallow-fried or baked pakoras will bring that number down.
Per serving (approx.): 374 kcal, protein 10 g, carbs 26 g, fat 26 g, fibre 4.9 g. Computed from IFCT 2017 / USDA values for the listed quantities. Measures: 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml.
Happy Cooking
!!
ByCOWBERRY
Aug 02, 2026
Recipes You’ll Love
More everyday cooking with COWBERRY organics, from the same kitchen.
Preparation Time
10 Min
Cooking Time
30 Min
Difficulty Level
moderate
Preparation Time
5 Min
Cooking Time
27 Min
Difficulty Level
moderate
Preparation Time
12 Min
Cooking Time
28 Min
Difficulty Level
moderate