How to make traditional Punjabi Kadhi with pakoras at home

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New Delhi: There are a few dishes that not only taste delicious but also bring back nostalgia of good childhood days or your favourite person who introduced you to the dish or cooked with love for the first time for you. These dishes evoke memory, warmth, and a deep sense of belonging, such as Punjabi-style kadhi pakoda, which is prepared in each Indian kitchen in North India extensively during the summer season.

With its tangy yoghurt base, golden fried pakoras, and a tempering that fills the kitchen with irresistible aroma, kadhi-chawal is more than just a meal; it’s an emotion for those who have been enjoying it since childhood. Here is a traditional recipe that you need to know to prepare delicious and tangy kadhi at home for a special feast.

Kadhi Pakoda Recipe

Ingredients

For the Kadhi Base

  • 1 cup sour curd (yoghurt)
  • 3 tablespoons besan (gram flour)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste

For Pakoras

  • 1 cup besan
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1–2 green chillies, chopped
  • Salt and red chilli powder to taste
  • Water (to make batter)
  • Oil for deep frying

For Tempering (Tadka)

  • 2 tablespoons mustard oil or ghee
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2–3 dried red chillies
  • A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
  • 6–8 curry leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder

How to make:

  1. Take a bowl and whisk curd with besan, turmeric and water to form a smooth paste.
  2. Pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed kadahi and cook on medium heat.
  3. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
  4. Now take a bowl to prepare pakodas, using besan, onion, spices and water.
  5. Drop a spoonful in hot oil in pan and fry until golden and crispy.
  6. Add fresh pakodas to the kadhi and let it soak gravy.
  7. Heat mustard oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dried chillies, heeng and curry leaves.
  8. Add tempering on the top and garnish with coriander leaves.

Pro Tips for Perfect Punjabi Kadhi

  • Use slightly sour yoghurt for authentic tanginess.
  • Cook on low heat for longer—this deepens flavour and texture.
  • Stir continuously in the beginning to prevent splitting.
  • Add pakoras just before serving if you prefer them slightly crisp.
  • Mustard oil enhances authenticity, but ghee works for a milder taste.

In Punjabi households, Kadhi is paired perfectly with steamed jeera rice, a universally accepted and loved combination of food, which provides comfort with each bite, and if cooked with perfection, tastes heavenly. Not just delicious, it is also a great meal option for summer due to its gut-healthy benefits and digestive properties.