Indian cuisine · Soups & Stews

Kadhi Pakora

A creamy sauce of sour yogurt and chickpea flour in which deep-fried onion pakoras soften and soak.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 500g yogurt (slightly sour)
• 60g chickpea flour
• 120g chickpea flour for the pakoras
• 2 onions
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 dried chillies
• 12 curry leaves
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 500ml oil for deep-frying
• Salt

Instructions

1. Whisk the yogurt with 60g chickpea flour, turmeric, salt, and 1 litre of water until lump-free — the mixture should be as thin as buttermilk.
2. Cut one onion into fine strips and mix with 120g chickpea flour, salt, and 4–5 tbsp water into a thick batter that just barely clings.
3. Heat the deep-frying oil to 175°C and fry teaspoon-sized pakoras in batches for 3–4 minutes until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper.
4. Heat the ghee in a wide pot, let the cumin, fenugreek seeds, dried chillies, and curry leaves pop for 30 seconds, then fry the second, finely diced onion for 5 minutes until translucent.
5. Pour in the yogurt mixture while stirring constantly, bring to the boil once, and then simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 25–30 minutes, until the kadhi is creamy and smells of toasted flour.
6. Add the pakoras only 5 minutes before serving so they soften without turning mushy, and serve everything hot with rice.