Sunday afternoons are incomplete without two of my favourite dishes. Either it has to be Rajma – Chawal or Kadhi – Chawal.
Kadhi is one of the dishes which takes us to our childhood and is a total comfort food .
A lazy Sunday afternoon with a piping hot bowl of kadhi and some plain boiled rice with a dollop of desi ghee … just the thought makes me hungry.
Throughout India there are many variations of kadhi , many make it sweet or use garlic in it. I like to keep it simple and plain .
I add onion pakoras in it and during winters I replace the onion pakoras with Methi or spinach pakoras. Many times I make simple plain besan pakoras in the kadhi . And when I am in a hurry, I just omit the pakoras all together and add the mini onions in the tadka and add them whole.
The variations are limitless. I also use mustard oil to fry the pakoras and for the first tempering or tadka . It might sound weird to you but trust me , it gives it the most authentic flavour. Use Desi ghee in the second tadka .

Ingredients
For kadhi
- 1/2 cup besan or gram flour
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon degi mirch powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoons mustard oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- Salt to taste
- 2 springs of curry leaves
For the pakoras
- 1 cup besan
- 1 large onion thin sliced
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ajwain
- salt, as per taste
- Water as needed for thick batter
- A pinch baking soda
- Mustard oil, for frying
Tempering or tadka
- 1.5 tablespoons ghee
- 1/4 tsp rai
- 1/4 tsp sarson or mustard seeds
- 2-3 whole dried red chilies
- Few curry leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
Garam masala for garnishing
Method
Kadhi
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In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup besan and 1.5 cups yogurt.Whisk until besan and yogurt are well combined. There should be no lumps.
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Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and Salt as per taste.
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Add 6 cups water and mix until it’s all mixed together. Set aside.
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In a large and deep pan, add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil on medium heat.
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Once the oil is hot and smoky, add the fenugreek seeds, curry leaves , asafoetida, mustard seeds . Let them splutter.
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Add the bay leaves, coriander powder and Kashmiri or Degi mirch powder and mix with a spatula.
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Add the prepared besan-yogurt mixture into the pan. Now with heat on medium-high, stir continuously until the kadhi comes to a boil.
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Stir continuously until the kadhi comes to a boil, then lower the heat to low-medium and let it cook for around 30 minutes. Keep stirring it in between.
Pakoras
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In a large bowl, add 1 cup besan along with 1 cup sliced onion, 1 chopped green chili, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ajwain and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
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Add 2 tablespoons water at a time and mix.
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It should neither be too watery nor thick. It should be gloopy like mixture.
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Add a pinch of baking soda and mix the batter for a minute using your hands. This will make the pakoras nice and soft.
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Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai on medium heat to fry the pakoras.
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Once the oil is hot, mix the batter again for a minute using your hands and then start dropping the batter into the hot oil.
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you may use a spoon to pick up the onions costed in besan and drop them in hot oil.
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Cook on medium low so that the pakoras are cooked from inside too.
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Cook until pakoras are golden brown from both sides. Cool them on paper towel.
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When the kadhi is considerably thickened and completely cooked, add the pakoras mix lightly. If you feel kadhi is too thick , add little water and give a boil.
Tadka or tempering
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Heat ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once ghee is hot, mustard seeds, rai , curry leaves and 2-3 whole red chillies broken in two
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Once seeds crackle, add 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder and turn off the heat immediately.
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Pour tadka over kadhi, and cover immediately to preserve the smoky flavour.
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Top it with some garam masala and serve with some Rice with a dollop of ghee .