Kadhi Pakora

A vibrant yellow, silky yogurt gravy coating soft onion fritters. The aroma of toasted cumin and hot ghee hits you immediately, with a tanginess balanced by the nuttiness of gram flour.

• Prep time: 25 min
• Cook time: 45 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 574
• Protein: 20 g
• Carbs: 46 g
• Fat: 33 g

Ingredients

• 400 g yogurt Indian ( well beaten )
• 250 g Chickpea flour ( divided for gravy and fritters )
• 1 L Mineral water ( room temperature )
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Ginger powder
• 2 piece Onion ( finely sliced )
• 2 piece Hot chili pepper ( chopped )
• 2 tbsp ghee ( for tempering )
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 piece curry leaves ( fresh )
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 500 ml Peanut oil ( for frying )
• 1 tsp Gray sea salt
• 20 g Fresh ginger ( peeled and grated )
• 3 piece Red chili paste ( whole )

Instructions

1. Kadhi Base

   In a large bowl, whisk the Indian yogurt with the chickpea flour until smooth and lump-free. Gradually stir in the water, turmeric, ginger powder, and grated fresh ginger. The mixture should be liquid and homogeneous.

2. Cooking the sauce

   Pour the mixture into a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent the yogurt from curdling. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. The sauce should thicken until it coats the back of a spoon.

3. Pakora Batter

   Mix the remaining chickpea flour with the sliced onions, chopped chili, a pinch of salt, and a little water. The batter should be thick and sticky, just enough to coat the onions.

4. Frying the fritters

   Heat the peanut oil. Drop small spoonfuls of batter. Fry until the pakoras are golden brown and crispy. Drain them on paper towels.

5. The final Tadka

   Submerge the pakoras in the hot sauce. In a small pan, heat the ghee. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, and whole dried red chilies. When it crackles and becomes fragrant, pour this hot butter over the kadhi.

Chef's tips

• Only salt the kadhi at the very end to prevent the yogurt from curdling during the reduction.
• Let the pakoras soak for at least 10 minutes in the gravy before serving so they become soft and juicy.
• The secret is slow cooking: the longer the kadhi simmers, the more the raw taste of the gram flour disappears.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. The pakoras will absorb the sauce, so add a splash of hot water when reheating.