Punjabi Kadi Pakoda

Bringing to you another famous dish from the north Indian state of Punjab…Made from chickpea/gram flour and vegetable fritters called pakodas, it is a spicy yogurt-based gravy which is often enjoyed best with rice or chapatti…

Health Check – One cup--92g--of chickpea flour (also known as gram flour) provides 356 calories, including 52 calories from fat. When you eat a 1-cup serving of chickpea flour, you'll also be getting vitamin A, vitamin K and several B-complex vitamins, including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and a full day's supply of folate. Chickpea flour provides 25 percent of the DV for iron, 74 percent of the recommended DV for manganese, and various amounts of other trace elements and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper and selenium.


Ingredients (serves 2-3)
For Pakodas -

5 tablespoon gram flour (Besan)

½ onion, finely chopped

1 small potato, peeled and finely chopped

2 green chillies, finely chopped

Chopped coriander

Salt (Remember to put only little salt as the kadi will also be having some salt)

¼ teaspoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon dhaniya powder

½ teaspoon garam masala

Oil for deep frying

For Kadi

1 cup Yogurt/Butter milk

2/3 cup gram flour (Besan)

3 cups water

2 dry red chillies

½ teaspoon baking powder

Dry fenugreek leaves (kasturi methi)

Few fenugreek seeds

Chopped ginger

Few cumin seeds (jeera)

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (Haldi)

¼ teaspoon red chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Salt to taste

2 tablespoon cooking oil

Chopped Coriander

Cooking Method (For Pakodas)
1. Take a mixing bowl and add all the ingredients – Gram flour, chopped onion, chopped potato, green chillies, chopped coriander, salt, baking powder and all the spices – red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and mix well adding water, slowly, to make a smooth batter. (Remember not to put too much baking powder or else the pakodas will absorb too much oil)
2. Keep a deep frying pan on heat, adding oil in it.
3. Once the oil gets heated, put the stove on medium heat and slip small portions of the batter into the oil to make pakodas. You can use your hands to do this or by using a tablespoon.
4. Fry the pakodas until they turn light golden brown on both sides.
5. Drain oil from pakodas, once light golden brown and keep them aside.

Cooking Method for Kadi
1. Take another mixing bowl and add whipped yogurt to it. Now mix into it the gram flour and blend it nicely using a hand blender.
2. Add dry fenugreek leaves (kasturi methi), turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala and blend it again.
3. Mix in it 3 cups of water and blend again.
4. Now take a deep sauce pan or kadai and add two tablespoon oil into it.
5. Once the oil gets heated, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds (methi dana) and dry red chillies. Stir fry these for a minute.
6. Now, add the yogurt mix we just prepared to the pan/kadai. Stir it nicely until it comes to boil. Keep the heat on medium.
7. Add some salt and mix it nicely.
8. You will see after 2-3 minutes froth begins to form in the kadi. Once the froth starts to settle down we will add the pakodas.
9. Add the pakodas to the kadi, as the froth settles down, and mix it slowly to avoid breaking the pakodas. Keep the heat on low flame and cook the kadi for another 10 minutes covering the lid.
10. Finally add some chopped fresh coriander leaves and serve the hot and yummy kadi with plain rice or chapatti.