Gujarati Kadhi
A tangy yogurt-based curry thickened with gram flour and studded with fried gram flour dumplings, finished with warm spices and mustard seeds. A beloved vegetarian comfort dish served with rice or flatbread.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 12g
Ingredients
- 1 cup gram flour (besan)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- ½ cup gram flour (besan)
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 whole dried red chili
- 8 leaves curry leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tablespoon ginger, fresh
Instructions
- 1
Pour 0.5 cup water into a medium bowl, add 1 cup gram flour and 0.25 teaspoon salt, and stir with a fork until the batter is smooth and pourable, like thick pancake batter with no lumps.
- 2
Pour 2 cups vegetable oil into a deep heavy-bottomed pot and set it over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until the oil shimmers and a tiny drop of batter immediately sizzles when dropped in.
- 3
Scoop 1 teaspoon of batter on a spoon and carefully slide it into the hot oil from about 2 inches above the surface; repeat with 5–6 more spoonfuls, spacing them so they do not touch.
- 4
Let the pakora fry undisturbed for 1 minute until the bottom turns golden brown, then use a slotted spoon to flip each one over and fry for another 45 seconds until both sides are light golden.
- 5
Use the slotted spoon to lift the pakora out and place them on a clean paper towel to drain; repeat batches with remaining batter until all are fried (you should have 20–24 small pakora).
- 6
Once cool enough to handle, pinch each pakora in half lengthwise to check that the inside is cooked through and pale, not doughy; set aside in a bowl until ready to use.
- 7
Pour 2 cups plain yogurt into a large mixing bowl, add 0.5 cup gram flour, and whisk vigorously with a wire whisk for 45 seconds until smooth and no lumps remain, like thin cream.
- 8
Pour 3 cups water into the yogurt-gram flour mixture and whisk for 30 seconds until fully combined and uniform.
- 9
Pour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot (8–10 inch diameter) and set it over medium-high heat for 45 seconds until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan.
- 10
Add 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds to the hot oil; they will immediately begin to crackle and pop—let them crackle for 10 seconds until about half have popped, releasing a nutty aroma.
- 11
Add 1 whole dried red chili and 8 curry leaves to the pot and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 15 seconds until the leaves are fragrant and just beginning to turn darker.
- 12
Add 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger and 0.125 teaspoon asafoetida to the pot and stir continuously for 20 seconds until very fragrant—the mixture should smell pungent and warm.
- 13
Slowly pour the yogurt-gram flour mixture into the pot while stirring constantly with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming; stir for 30 seconds until it is all incorporated.
- 14
Add 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder and 0.5 teaspoon salt to the pot and stir for 20 seconds until the color is uniform and yellow throughout.
- 15
Increase the heat to high and bring the kadhi to a boil, stirring constantly—watch for large bubbles breaking the surface, which takes about 5 minutes.
- 16
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds to prevent sticking on the bottom and to help thicken the sauce evenly.
- 17
Gently add the fried pakora to the simmering kadhi and stir carefully to coat them; let simmer for 2 more minutes over medium-low heat until the pakora absorb some sauce and are warmed through.
- 18
Taste the kadhi by lifting a spoon of sauce to your lips; it should be tangy from yogurt, warm from spices, and slightly salty—add more salt in small pinches (1/8 teaspoon at a time) if needed.
- 19
Ladle the kadhi and pakora into serving bowls, ensuring each bowl gets 4–6 pakora and at least 1 cup of sauce; serve hot with steamed rice or warm Indian flatbread on the side.
Tools you’ll need
- medium mixing bowl
- wire whisk
- large heavy-bottomed pot (8–10 inch diameter)
- deep heavy-bottomed pot for frying
- wooden spoon
- slotted spoon
- teaspoon
- paper towels
- ladle
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- fork
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