Punjabi kadhi
Preparation Time
10 minutes
Cooking Time
30 minutes
Difficulty Level
moderate
Meal Type
Lunch
Serves 4
Key Ingredients
- Besan (chickpea flour)
About This Recipe
Punjabi kadhi is the thick, tangy kadhi of Punjabi home cooking, simmered until the flour and curd taste fully cooked and served with steamed rice. This recipe gives the kadhi its exact ratio and cooks the onion pakoras in a wide frying pan with two tablespoons of oil, so the dish needs no deep frying.
The besan quantity in kadhi is the first decision. Measure two thirds of a cup of besan against two cups of curd and three of water, and the kadhi simmers down to a pour that still coats the back of a spoon; use less flour and it turns thin, more and it turns to a sauce. Whisk the flour with one cup of the water before the curd touches it, and there will be no lumps to chase.
For a besan substitute for kadhi, this recipe does not offer one: the flour is the thickener and it carries the taste of the dish, so the recipe uses besan and says so. Amchur finishes the khatta instead of leaning on extra-sour curd, and it goes in with the liquids so the tartness lands sharp and even rather than sharp at the end. The besan hub explains the flour behind the whole dish, and the kadhi pakora recipe is the deep-fried cousin of this one.
Ingredient List
Serving Size:
1x
2x
3x
For the kadhi
- Besan (chickpea flour) — 2/3 cup
- Curd (dahi) — 2 cups
- Water — 3 cups
- Turmeric Powder — 1/2 tsp
- Amchur (Dry Mango Powder) — 1/2 tsp
- Salt (1/2 tsp for the pakoras, 1 tsp for the kadhi) — 1 1/2 tsp
For the pakoras
- Besan (chickpea flour) — 1 cup
- Onion, thinly sliced, and green chilli, chopped — 1 piece
- Ajwain (carom seeds) — 1/2 tsp
- Water — 1/3 cup
For frying
- Groundnut oil — 2 tbsp
For the tempering
- Ghee — 1 tbsp
- Cumin Seeds — 1 tsp
- Hing (asafoetida) powder — 1/4 tsp
- Dry red chillies — 2 piece
- Ginger, julienned — 1 tsp
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Serving Suggestions
Pour over steamed rice with sliced onion and lime pickle, or sop it up with a soft besan roti. As it sits the kadhi thickens, so thin leftover bowls with a little hot water; it stays good in the fridge for two days. The besan recipes roundup collects more of the flour's everyday dishes.
Tips for Cooking Punjabi kadhi
Pan-fry the pakoras on a medium-low flame and give them time on each side; they must cook through, not just brown. Give the kadhi the full simmer, because raw besan needs that time to taste cooked. Whisk once more just before the kadhi boils, and skim the foam that rises at the start.
Chef’s Note
A serving comes to about 294 kcal, with 11.2 g protein and 5.4 g fibre; the besan carries nearly all the protein, and the fat is the oil the pakoras take up in the pan. The curd is not counted in these numbers.
Per serving (approx.): 294 kcal, protein 11 g, carbs 29 g, fat 15 g, fibre 5.4 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
Sep 26, 2026
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