Recipe- Everyone's Favorite Punjabi Style Kadhi Pakora

Everyone loves Kadhi Pakora! It’s the ultimate comfort food that is hearty, delicious, packed with complex flavors, and soul-satisfying. You don’t have to be an expert to make this flavorsome Punjabi Kadhi Pakora; simply gather the ingredients, simmer, make pakoras, and the food is ready and on the table in an hour.

Ingredients

1½ cups Yogurt preferably sour
½ cup Besan (Chickpea flour/ Gram flour)
1 teaspoon Turmeric/ Haldi
Salt to taste
5 cups Water
1½ tablespoons Oil
? teaspoon Hing/ Asafoetida
¾ teaspoon Methi dana (Fenugreek seeds)
¾ teaspoon Mustard seeds
4 Dry Red chilies
1 medium Onions peeled, rinsed, and thinly sliced
1 cup Spinach leaves chopped
1 small Green chili chopped
¾ teaspoon Red chili powder
1 teaspoon Coriander powder
Salt to taste
1 cup Besan
Oil for frying
2 tablespoons Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
3 cloves Garlic peeled, rinsed, and finely chopped
1 small Onion peeled, rinsed, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red chili powder
Chopped cilantro leaves

Method

* Combine yogurt and besan in a large mixing bowl.

* Whisk the two until it forms a lump-free and smooth batter. Add 5 cups of water and mix until combined.

* Add salt and turmeric to this yogurt mixture. Whisk again until smooth. Set aside.

* Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Once hot, add asafoetida (hing), methi dana ( fenugreek seeds), rai ( mustard seeds), and dried red chilies.

* Mix the spices. When the seeds start to crackle and become light brown, stir in the yogurt mixture.

* Lower the heat, and give the yogurt mixture a good stir.

* Allow the Kadhi to simmer for 30 minutes at low heat. Keep stirring at regular intervals to prevent it from sticking and burning.

* The Kadhi will thicken and deepen in color as it simmers. Adjust the water if the kadhi becomes thick. Add 1/4 cup of water at a time.

* While the kadhi is simmering, let’s make pakoras.

* Take a mixing bowl and combine sliced onions and chopped spinach. Add besan, green chilies, red chili powder, salt, and mix it well.

* Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes. During this rest period, onions will release some water.

* Now, add water and make a thick batter. Add water slowly as we need a thick batter.

* Heat oil in a kadhai over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, take 2 tablespoons of oil and add it to the pakora batter. Beat the batter until combined. This will result in a light and fluffy pakoras. Carefully drop the pakoras in hot oil.

* Fry the pakoras on medium heat- once they start to brown, flip and cook on the other side until evenly brown.

* Once done, remove from oil and set on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Repeat the process until all the batter has been used. Set aside.

* Add the pakoras to the simmering kadhi. Bring the Kadhi to a boil.

* Cover the pan and allow the kadhi to simmer for 8-10 minutes. This way, the pakoras will soak in all the flavors and become soft.

* Add oil to a pan. Once hot, add cumin seeds, and as the seeds start to crackle, add minced garlic to the pan.

* Saute the garlic for a few minutes until the raw smell disappears. Add onions and give it a good mix.

* Cook the onions until translucent. Cook the tadka on medium-low heat as the onions may get burn.

* Add Kashmiri red chili powder. Give it a good stir. Cook for a few seconds, then remove the tadka from the heat.

* Drizzle the tadka over the kadhi. Add chopped cilantro leaves and mix to combine. Our Punjabi Kadi pakora is ready to be served.