Punjabi Kadhi Pakora

Dassana Amit’s Punjabi kadhi pakora pairs onion fritters with a thick, tangy yogurt sauce. She shares her mother-in-law’s recipe, distinguishing its creamy consistency and fritter texture from thinner regional kadhis.

Sour full-fat curd is whisked with gram flour, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt and water to make a smooth slurry. The gram flour helps thicken the sauce as it cooks.

The pakoras have their own mixture of gram flour, sliced onion, carom seeds, chilli, garam masala and salt. Resting lets the onions release moisture before any needed water is added, and spoonfuls fry to a crisp golden finish.

A separate mustard-oil tempering crackles with cumin, fenugreek and asafoetida. Onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, curry leaves and dried red chilli cook in it before the yogurt slurry is added, brought to a boil and gently simmered until thick.

The fritters soak briefly in the finished kadhi before an extra sprinkle of garam masala and coriander leaves finishes it. Amit serves the dish hot with steamed or cumin rice and a little ghee, explaining that the rice pairing is called kadhi chawal.