Recipe: Kadhi Pakora (Kadi Pakodi)

Some days when I don’t have many vegetables at home and I am lazy to go grocery shopping, I end up making kadi with pakodi (aka kadhi pakora).  And what I do with extra leftover pakodis?  I make quick dahi-bhalla (dahi bada) – oh I love everything that’s 2-in-1, hehe.

Here is a Kadhi Pakora recipe that serves 4-6, adapted from Shobha Indani’s cookbook.

What you need for Kadhi Pakora:

For Pakora*:

1 cup chickpea flour (besan)

½ cup finely chopped onion (pyaz)

2 tsp finely chopped green chilies (hari mirch)

1 tsp oil

Salt as per taste [I used ½ tsp]

Water

For Kadhi:

1 ½ cup curd (yogurt/dahi)

¼ cup chickpea flour (besan)

¼ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

2 Tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

¼ tsp mustard seeds (rai)

Pinch asafoetida (hing)

5-6 fenugreek seeds (methi dana)

2 each of clove (laung) & cardamom (elaichi)

2 dry red chilies (sookhi lal mirch)

2 slit green chilies (hari mirch)

1 tsp grated ginger (adrak)

5-6 curry leaves (karipatta)

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (hara dhaniya)

¼ cup fresh cream/malai**

Salt + sugar as per taste [I used 1 tsp salt + ½ tsp sugar]

Let’s Begin!


1.  For Pakora*:  Mix all ingredients; make batter of dropping consistency using minimum required water.  Mix well.  Deep fry small pakoras from this batter in hot oil until light brown.  Drain on paper towel and keep aside.

deep fry pakora and keep aside to put in hot kadhi later

2.  For Kadhi:  Combine curd + besan + salt + sugar + haldi + 2 cups water.  Mix well. Add cream/malai**.

3.  Heat ghee in pan, add rai + hing, let rai pop, then add fenugreek seeds + cloves + cardamom + red chilies in that order and fry few seconds.

4.  Then add green chilies + ginger + curry leaves, fry few seconds.  Then add the curd preparation, stir the kadi occasionally and cook till it comes to a boil.  Then add pakoras to the hot kadhi & simmer just 2-3 minutes***.

Garnish the kadi pakora with cilantro and serve hot with rice.

Kadhi Pakora, or Kadi with pakodi

Notes:

* It is ideal to make pakora first so that they cool down to room temperature by the time kadhi is cooked.

** Fresh cream/malai is added to make a creamy kadhi – but this is completely optional.

*** There really is no need to dip the pakoras in water & squeeze & then add to kadhi; they can be put directly to the kadhi when it boils.  Pakoras are added at this last stage so that they don’t become too soggy if added earlier.

Enjoy.

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