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PAKODA KADHI (GARGARA)

Tangy andflavourful Punjabi Kadhi Pakora has deep fried pakoras (fritters) dunked in atangy yogurt based curry! Best enjoyed with steamed white rice!
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Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 460 kcal

Ingredients
  

For Kadhi

  • 1/2 cup besan 55 grams, also known as gram flour
  • 1.5 cups plain yogurt 360 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 6 cups water 1.4 liters water
  • 2 tablespoons oil I used and recommend mustard oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon methi seeds fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon hing also known as asafoetida
  • 1 small red onion sliced thin
  • 1 green chili chopped
  • 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon chopped ginger
  • 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1.25-1.5 teaspoon salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

For The Pakora

  • 1 cup besan 110 grams
  • 1 cup thinly sliced onion from 1 large red onion
  • 1 green chili chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon ajwain
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup+ 1-2 tablespoons water asneeded
  • 2 pinch baking soda
  • oil for frying

For Tadka

  • 1.5 tablespoons ghee or use oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • Ajwain generous pinch
  • 2-3 whole dried red chilies
  • 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder for the bright red color (not spicy)

Instructions
 

Make The Kadhi

  • To a large bowl, add 1/2 cup besan (55 grams) and 1.5 cups (360 grams) yogurt. Make sure the yogurt is at room temperature. Whisk until besan and yogurt are well combined.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder and whisk until you have a lump free mixture.
  • Add 6 cups water (around 1.4 liters of water) and mix until it's all mixed together. Set aside.
  • In a large and deep pan, add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil on medium-high heat. You can use any oil but mustard oil gives it a nice flavor.
  • Once the oil is hot (make sure oil is heated through else mustard oil gives a raw taste), add the methi seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter and then add hing.
  • Add the sliced onion along with chopped green chili and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped ginger and garlic and cook for another 1 minute or so until the ginger and garlic start changing color.
  • Add the prepared besan-yogurt mixture into the pan. Now with heat on medium-high, stir continuously until the kadhi comes to a boil. Stir continuously until the kadhi comes to a boil, then lower the heat to low-medium and let it cook for around 30 minutes. Keep stirring it in between.
  • Add salt after the kadhi has been cooking for 15 minutes or so. While the kadhi is cooking, make the pakora.

Make The Pakora

  • To a large bowl, add 1 cup besan (110 grams), along with 1 cup sliced onion, 1 chopped green chili, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ajwain and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 2 tablespoons yogurt and mix.
  • Should not be very runny but not super thick either. I added around 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons water.
  • Add 2 pinch of baking soda and mix the batter for a minute using your hands. This will make the pakoras nice and soft.  Meanwhile heat oil (around 2 cups) in a kadai on medium heat to fry the pakoras.
  • Once the oil is hot, mix the batter again for a minute using your hands and then start dropping the batter into the hot oil. I take handful of batter using my thumb and four fingers and drop is straight into hot oil, you may use a spoon.
  • Let it cook and turn golden brown from one side and then flip and cook the other side. Make sure to cook on medium-low heat so that the pakoras cook nicely from inside too. Cook until pakoras are golden brown from both sides. Drain on a paper towel.
  • After 30 minutes or so, kadhi would have considerably thickened and completely cooked. Add cilantro. You can little extra water here if kadhi looks too thick to you.  Add the pakora and transfer kadhi into a serving pan.

Make The Tadka

  • Heat ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once ghee is hot, add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and generous pinch of ajwain. Add 2-3 dried red chilies (you can break them for extra heat). Once seeds crackle, add 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder and turn off the heat immediately.
  • Pour tadka over kadhi, garnish with more cilantro and serve punjabi kadhi pakora with rice!

Notes

  1. The kadhi thickens as it cools down. So while re-heating you may need to add little water.
  2. Add the pakoras to the kadhi 10 to 15 minutes before serving it.
  3. Please read all my tips in the post if you are making punjabi kadhi for the first time, it will help!