Kadhi pakora

Credit and permission to share: KHANA Flavor with Ayesha Zaib

You may have noticed, my local north east England hometown was not big on different foods. Ironically, the closest I ever got to food from Pakistan was when my school mate gave us all M&Ms his family shop had just got in stock.

We were wary of brightly coloured sweets with letters printed on them in the 80s.

But I am not wary of this recipe one bit and could could read and make this recipe all day, particularly if you put the music on from Ayesha's website, it's so hypnotic (links right at the bottom).

You will need:

Preparation time

·       Blending yogurt and mixing spices: 10 minutes

·       Cooking kadhi: 30–35 minutes

·       Preparing pakora batter: 10 minutes

·       Frying pakoras: 20 minutes

·       Final assembly and garnishing: 5–7 minutes

·       Total Preparation Time: Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings

This recipe serves 6 to 8 people generously, making it perfect for family gatherings or a cozy weekend feast.

Description

Homemade kadhi pakora is a magical dish that combines creamy yogurt gravy with crispy, spicy pakoras.

Perfect for any occasion, this traditional South Asian recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients like yogurt and gram flour.

Serve it with chapati or rice for a comforting meal that feels like a warm hug!

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Ingredients

For kadhi:

·       1 cup oil

·       500g yogurt

·       1 liter laban (buttermilk)

·       5 tbsp gram flour (besan)

·       1 tbsp salt (or to taste)

·       1 tsp cumin powder

·       1-1/2 tbsp coriander powder

·       1 tbsp red chili powder

·       1/2 tsp turmeric powder

·       1 tsp chili flakes

·       1-1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

·       3 green chilies (chopped)

·       1 tsp garm masala (all spices)

·       1 liter water

·       Fresh green coriander (for garnish)

For pakoras:

·       300g gram flour (besan)

·       2 large onions (sliced)

·       1 medium potato (grated or chopped)

·       2–4 green chilies (chopped)

·       1/2 bunch fresh coriander (chopped)

·       1 pinch carom seeds (ajwain)

·       1 tsp chili flakes

·       1 tsp crushed coriander seeds

·       1 tsp crushed cumin seeds

·       1 tsp red chili powder

·       Salt to taste

·       Oil for frying

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Directions

Prepare the kadhi

1. Blend yogurt, laban, and gram flour until smooth with no lumps.

2. Heat oil in a deep pot, add ginger-garlic paste, and sauté for 2–3 minutes.

3. Mix in salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric, and a splash of water.

4. Cook the spices for 1–2 minutes until aromatic.

5. Add another tablespoon of water, cover, and cook until oil separates.

6. Strain the oil and set aside for later use.

7. Turn off the heat. Gradually add the blended yogurt mixture.

8. Add 1 liter water and stir thoroughly.

9. Turn the heat back on. Stir continuously until the mixture comes to a boil.

10. Add chilli flakes and chopped green chillies.

11. Let it cook on medium flame until the kadhi thickens and oil floats on top.

Prepare the pakoras

1. In a large bowl, mix gram flour with all the dry spices.

2. Slowly add water to make a thick, sticky batter.

3. Fold in sliced onions, grated potato, chopped green chilies, and coriander.

4. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.

5. Drop spoonfuls of batter into hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy.

6. Fry all the batter in batches to make pakoras.

7. Once fried, gently add the pakoras to the kadhi.

8. Pour the reserved oil over the kadhi for enhanced flavor.

9. Sprinkle garam masala and garnish with fresh coriander.

10. Serve hot with rice or chapati.

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