Punjabi pakora kadhi is one of my all time favorite dishes. Kadhi is a light and flavorful yogurt based curry and pakoras are spiced onion and chickpea flour fritters. In India, there are many variations to the dish and every part of the country has a different way of making it. This is the north Indian Punjabi version.
I first learned how to make kadhi from my best friend Naina’s mom. She makes the best kadhi ever. Aunty would send kadhi for us to school and we could literally smell it through Naina’s bag. We couldn’t even wait for the lunch break. The lunch box would be passed around and we would crouch down under our desks to eat it. The aroma did get us into trouble a few times though :).
At an Indian restaurant in Phoenix we once ordered pakora kadhi after a long day. It was very similar to the one I made but with a few more spices. So the next time I made kadhi, I decided to add a few more ingredients to it and the result was amazing. The fennel seeds, mustard seeds and whole dry red chilies give the yogurt curry a distinct licorice and smoky flavor. I also add kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves to the kadhi. It tastes like a combination of celery and fennel with a slightly bitter bite. It adds an amazing flavor to the kadhi.
The list of ingredients is long but this pakora kadhi is so light, comforting, tangy and full of flavor. The pakoras soak up the flavors of the kadhi and it tastes delicious served over hot rice with lots of the curry.
Here is how I make it…