Romy Gill's Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Recipe (Punjabi Yoghurt Curry with Pakoras)
By Romy Gill
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Easy
Chickpea or gram flour (besan) is used in so many Indian dishes, both savoury and sweet. This Punjabi kadhi is a yoghurt-based curry that is typically thickened with gram flour and flavoured with various spices.
The combination of the tangy yoghurt, spices and added pakoras makes it a very comforting dish. The different regions of India have their own unique way of making it. This version takes me back to New Town, West Bengal.
I have memories of sitting on the veranda eating pakoras. Dad would peel and slice extra onions so that Mum could make more pakoras when she made this dish, because they both knew that we would all like to eat lots of them.
Try Romy Gills recipe Meethi Aam Ki Sabzi or Chikki
This recipe is extracted from Romy Gill’s India by Romy Gill (Hardie Grant, £28), Photography by Sam Harris.
Ingredients for Punjabi Kadhi Pakora
For the kadhi
- 75 g chickpea (gram) flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala (see page 232 for homemade)
- 150 g natural yoghurt, whisked together with 500 ml water
- 3 tsp ghee, or 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 large white or red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 25 g ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3–4 green bird’s-eye chillies, sliced
- 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
For the pakoras
- 100g chickpea (gram) flour
- 1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium potato, peeled and finely diced
- 50g spinach, washed and roughly chopped
- 2–3 green chillies (bird’s-eye or similar), chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp anardana seeds
- 1 tsp salt
To cook and serve
- ghee or sunflower oil, for deep frying
- small handful of fresh coriander, chopped
How to make Punjabi Kadhi Pakora
- To make the kadhi, sift the gram flour into a large bowl and add the salt, turmeric, ground cumin, garam masala, and yoghurt and water mixture. Gently stir to combine, then add 750 ml (25 fl oz) water and whisk gently to make a thin batter. Set aside to rest.
- Place the ghee or oil in a deep saucepan set over a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds.
- As soon as the seeds start to sizzle, add the onions and cook for 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and chillies and cook for a further 2 minutes, then lower the heat and sprinkle in the dried fenugreek leaves.
- Pour the rested yoghurt mixture into the pan and cook, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and forms bubbles. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- To make the pakoras, sift the gram flour into a large bowl and then add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine.
- Slowly pour in 90 ml water, a little at a time. The amount of water you need will depend on the flour you are using – some flours require more water than others.
- Gently mix the water into the flour with your fingers until all of the vegetables are coated. You’re aiming for a mixture that sticks to your fingers and is not too runny.
- Pour enough ghee or oil into a deep, heavy-based saucepan to fill it halfway. Heat the oil over a medium heat until it’s about 175ºC.
- Test the temperature of the oil by dropping a tiny amount of the pakora batter into the oil – if it floats to the surface immediately, the oil is hot enough.
- Once the temperature is correct, carefully drop 6 tablespoons of pakora mix, one by one, into the hot oil and fry for 2–3 minutes until the pakora are golden and crispy.
- Once cooked, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil, then repeat with the remaining batter.
- Once all the pakoras are made, drop them into the reserved kadhi mixture. Warm through over a low heat for 10–12 minutes and serve hot with rice and the chopped fresh coriander to garnish.
