Kadhi Pakora

By
Prerna Singh
-
It has been close to six years since I left homeland and started my own family and a kitchen. There were quite a few initial challenges and kitchen disasters but slowly I think I got a hang of it and started cooking some decent edible food. But there are two things that still make my legs weak when someone asks me to make – Indian pickles or a kadhi. A very close friend of ours is pregnant and the mommy-to-be has been craving kadhi, a lot! Lucky enough for me an Indian restaurant close to our place makes really good kadhi. Every few days I have to make a trip there. But after a few trips I realized I better face this fear and try to perfect the art of making kadhi myself.

Simple Confort Food (kadhi pakora)

There is no right way to make kadhi and you can find tens and hundreds of recipes out there. A Gujarati kadhi (popular in the state of Gujarat), Maharashtrian Kadhi (from the state of Maharshtra), Pujabi kadhi (coming from the state of Punjab), Aunty Sheila’s kadhi, mom’s kadhi and so on… A perfect example of what a traditional Indian food is, everyone has their own version with a few tweaks here and there but fundamentally they are all the same. Simple comfort food that fills up your belly, warms up your heart and you can never have enough of it!

Flour

Kadhi is simply a spiced soup that you make with thinning out yogurt with water and cooking it with some chickpea flour. Yes, that is all what kadhi is and then you can add whatever you want to it and make it your own. Some like to make it with some deep fried chickpea fritters, some add veggies or some like my mom make it with tomatoes. Some like to add more water and make it really thin, some don’t and so they add a little more flour to make it denser. Then the use of spices also varies from region to region. In some parts of the country mustard seeds and curry leaves are very important when making kadhi, while in other parts spices like fenugreek seeds and whole dried red chili pepper are used.

Chickpea flour fritters

My mom makes it in one way and my mom in law makes it in another so when I try a recipe like this I take the middle route. Some of hers and some of hers! Some might find this recipe a little closer to the Punjabi kadhi and I would say those frequent trips to the Indian restaurant might have to do with that too. For the tempering, I used the spices that my mom uses and for the consistency I went with my mom in law’s style. I made some deep fried chickpea battered fritters and also some with vegetables. I am sharing the recipe with no vegetables here because that is what is commonly used for kadhi. If these fritters don’t look perfect or they look sloppy to you then please pardon me. Making gorgeous looking and perfectly shaped bhajia is just not my forte so I say “I kinda like them that way!”

Kadhi Pakora

Check out the recipe over at 6 Bittersweets, a gorgeous blog by one of my very good friends Xiaolu. You must remember Xiaolu from one of the most beautiful guest posts on Indian Simmer, the recipe post for orange grand marnier souffle. She is a very talented photographer, blogger and one of the most beautiful blogger friends that I have. Few weeks back she asked me to do a guest post for me and requested I make some kadhi for her and I did! So please head over to 6 Bittersweets for my guest post that I did a couple days back.

Prerna Singh
http://www.indiansimmer.com

29 Comments

  1. Hello,
    We love your recipes, especially when its on Pakora.
    These are so delicious.
    I have always looked at your blog for the various pictures and the way you write.Just Love it!
    You have shared some nice information about Kadhi Pakora in this post.
    The points you mentioned are genuine and perfect.
    The content completely describes about the topic you wanted to portray with us.
    Thanks for sharing such valuable post.

    Regards
    VentairIndia Team

  5. Oh. My. Goodness. Words cannot explain how happy I am to have found your site (via Gojee). I’m a small girl who can eat her weight in Indian food – and I’ve been looking for authentic Indian recipes for months.

  6. Been a long time I made kadhi..particularly love the use of ajwain seeds in pakora batter..just like my mom does..gives so much flavor. I need to make it soon! Love the picture of pakoras on newspaper!

  9. Sounds so yummy! I have never had kadhi before…must try it! It’s funny but how you describe traditional Indian food as everyone having their own version of a dish, with a tweak here or there…this is very much how Filipino food is as well 🙂

  11. Gorgeous photos. I just found your blog via Honest Cooking–I contribute their too, and if you saw my last post, you’ll know that I was very excited to see your site. I love Indian food but haven’t tried cooking it much. You’re added to my blog reader!

  13. Prerna,
    Xialou and you both are talented bloggers and photographers in each your own right. Coming together for this guest post is such a wonderful thing!
    Have never made kadhi pakoda at home, though I’ve eaten at restaurants and my office cafetaria earlier..
    BTW, I simply adore brass utensils and that brass bowl is super cute and rustic! Did you bring it from your India trip this time?

  16. Love your article and pictures – especially the pakoras on the newspaper. I love kadhi and make the gujarati version which is sweet and sour and quite runny. I’ll try adding pakoras next time I make it.

  24. Saw this on 6 Bittersweets when I was having a serious Pakora craving. Your post could NOT have come at a better time!

    I made this for my friends that night. We all loved it. Thanks so much for sharing!!

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