Punjabi Kadhi Pakora - Rosy aunty

Recipe by Rosy Pinto



Ingredients:
For the kadhi/yogurt mixture 

1.5 cups full fat yogurt or sour curd
1/2 cup gram flour/besan 
5 cups water 
1/2 tsp red chilli powder 
1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
1/2 tsp garam masala powder 
1 tsp coriander powder 

For cooking the Punjabi kadhi

2 tbsp oil, preferably mustard oil 
1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds 
1 tsp cumin seeds 
1/4 tsp asafoetida/hing powder 
1 small onion (finely chopped)
1 to 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
1 tbsp ginger (finely chopped)
1 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 
salt as required 

For the onion pakoras:

1 cup gram flour/besan
2 medium onions (thinly sliced)
2 green chilli (finely chopped)
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves 
1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 
1/2 tsp crushed coriander seeds 
1/4 tsp carom /ajwain seeds
1/2 tsp garam masala 
1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp yoghurt 
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp baking soda (optional)
oil for deep frying 

For the tadka 
2 tbsp ghee or oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ajwain/carom seeds 
3 to 4 dried red chillies (whole or broken)
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 
1 sprig curry leaves( optional)

Steps:

For the kadhi/yogurt mixture: 
  1. To a bowl, add yogurt and whisk it well till smooth. 
  2. Add gram flour and all the spice powders, whisk until you have a lump free mixture. 
  3. Add water and mix well. Set it aside.
For cooking the Punjabi kadhi:
     
  1. Heat oil in a large pan on medium flame. 
  2. Add cumin and fenugreek seeds. 
  3. As cumin seeds begin to splutter, add asafoetida and give it a stir.
  4. Add chopped onion and green chillies and saute for 2 minutes.
  5. Add chopped ginger, garlic and saute for a minute or until the ginger and garlic start changing colour.
  6. Add the kadhi/yogurt mixture, stir very well and keep on stirring until it comes to boil.
  7. Add salt and mix well, simmer the kadhi on low flame for 20 to 30 minutes stirring in between until kadhi thickens. (At this point, you can prepare the pakoras - recipe below.)
  8. Once the kadhi is cooked and thickened, add chopped coriander leaves. If it is too thick then add some hot water and stir well. 
  9. Add the fried pakoras to the kadhi, stir gently and cook for 2 minutes with lid on. Switch off the flame. 
  10. Transfer the kadhi pakora into a serving dish.
For the onion pakoras:
  1. Add all the ingredients in a bowl except baking soda and oil. 
  2. Mix everything well to form a batter that is not very runny nor thick.

  3. Heat oil in a wok on medium heat for frying pakoras. 
  4. Once the oil is hot, add baking soda to the batter and mix the batter for a minute.
  5. Using a spoon, drop the batter into hot oil and cook on medium low heat so that the pakoras cook well from the inside. 
  6. When pakoras are partly cooked, turn over and fry the other side till the pakoras are golden.
  7. Remove and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed.
For the tadka:
  1. Heat ghee in a small pan over medium heat 
  2. Add cumin, ajwain, red chillies and curry leaves. 
  3. Once seeds crackle, add chilli powder and switch off the flame. 
  4. Pour tadka over the kadhi pakora mix.
  5. ENJOY!