Kadhi Pakora Pakoras Recipes

KADHI PAKORA / PAKORAS

Steps:

• Sift together in a large bowl the flour, salt, chili powder, baking powder, cumin, ajwain (or oregano).
• Add the water and beat to form a smooth batter.
• Add the chopped onion, potato and cauliflower to the mixture and gently toss to coat.
• Heat the oil in a large pan to 350-375°F/180-190°C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 sec.
• Using a slotted spoon or a "spider", lower a scoop (2-3 tablespoons) of the battered vegetables into the hot oil a few at a time and deep-fry, flipping over once. Depending on how hot your oil is, you want to give it about 2 minutes per side, but watch that they don't burn. The end result should be crispy on the outside and medium-soft to crispy inside.
• Remove with the slotted spoon and drain thoroughly on paper towels.
• Beat yogurt and gram flour until smooth.
• Heat the oil in pan.
• Add mustard seeds, turmeric, chili powder and fenugreek seeds.
• Add yogurt mixture, bring just to a gentle boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent lumps.
• Add pakoras and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Serve hot over basmati rice.

KADHI RECIPE (PUNJABI KADHI PAKORA)

Steps:

• In a bowl take the sour curd and whisk it well till smooth
• Add gram flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt to the whisked curd.
• Stir and mix everything again.
• Add 3 cups water and stir again.
• Stir very well to make a smooth mixture without lumps. If there are lumps, then break them with a wired whisk or a spatula or with your fingers. Set the curd slurry aside.
• You can use a blender to make this mixture, but make sure you don't over do it. You will get butter instead of a smooth blended curd.
• Take the gram flour in a bowl and add carom seeds, red chili powder, garam masala powder and salt.
• Add 1 cup thinly sliced onions.
• Mix everything well and set aside covered for 30 minutes.
• This will allow the onions to release their water in the mixture. Depending on the water content in the onions, the mixture will become very moist or just about moist.
• Then accordingly add water as required to make a thick batter. I added ¼ cup water.
• Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai. Let the oil become medium hot. Then with a spoon carefully drop the pakora batter in the oil.
• When the pakora are partly cooked, then turn over and fry the other side.
• Fry till the pakora are crisp and golden.
• Remove the fried pakora and place them on a kitchen paper towel so that extra oil is absorbed. Fry the pakora in batches this way. When done set all of them aside.
• In another pan or kadai, heat mustard oil. Make sure to use a large bottomed pot so that while boiling, the kadhi does not spill.
• Add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. Allow the cumin seeds to crackle and the fenugreek seeds to change their color. Fry on a low flame, so that these spices do not get burnt.
• Add chopped onions. Stir and sauté for 3 minutes on a low to medium-low heat.
• Then add chopped ginger, chopped garlic and chopped green chillies. Stir and sauté for a minute.
• Now add curry leaves, dry red chilies (halved or broken and seeds removed). Stir and sauté for a minute on a low flame.
• Then add the curd slurry.
• Stir very well.
• Increase the flame to medium and bring the kadhi to a boil. Keep on stirring often so that the bottom does not get browned. Time taken to cook kadhi will be around 14 to 16 minutes.
• After the kadhi has come to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for more 6 to 7 minutes. The kadhi will thicken.
• If the kadhi becomes too thick, then add some hot water.
• Now add the onion pakora to the kadhi and stir gently.
• Cover with a lid and let the onion pakora be soaked in it for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Lastly sprinkle some garam masala powder.
• Serve kadhi pakora with steamed rice or cumin rice, topped with few teaspoonfuls of ghee. You could also have kadhi with roti or paratha.

PAKORA FOR PUNJABI KADHI

Steps:

• Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a heavy saucepan or a deep fryer.
• Combine water, flour, onion, salt, chili powder, and baking soda in a bowl to make a thick batter.
• Place 1 teaspoon batter in the hot oil and deep-fry until browned all around, about 3 minutes. Line a plate with paper towels and drain pakoras there.
• Place the pakoras in the Punjabi Kadi.