Vegan Punjabi Kadhi - Yogurt Gravy with Fritter
A vegan twist on the classic Punjabi Kadhi with a creamy plant-based yogurt gravy cooked with aromatic spices, and crispy onion fritters.
Ingredients
For Yogurt mix:
- 1 cup sour soy yogurt or any other plant-based alternative
- 2 cups water
- ⅓ cup Chickpea flour or gram flour or Besan
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoon Coriander seeds crushed
- ½ teaspoon Red chili powder optional
For onion bhaji/pakoda
- 2-3 Red onions
- 3-4 tablespoon Chickpea flour or gram flour or besan
- ½ teaspoon Carom seeds or Ajwain crushed between your palms
- Salt to taste
- Oil for frying
For kadhi:
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
- 1 Onion medium sized sliced thin
- 2 green chilies sliced optional
- 1 teaspoon Hing/Asofoetida
For final tempering:
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ½ teaspoons Fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds crushed
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
Garnish
- 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
Instructions
Make the Bhajis:
- I suggest you start this process but fry the onion bhajis at the very end after the Kadhi is made.
- Start by adding ½-1 teaspoon of salt to the sliced onions in a bowl and let it sit and lose water. This water should ideally be enough to make the onion bhaji batter.
- Then add the carom seeds and chickpea flour and mix well. Add a few tablespoons of water if required.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pot.
- Make rough shapes with the onion mixture with your palms and slowly drop them in the hot oil.
- Fry them on medium heat. Should take a few minutes so everything gets cooked from within.
- Once they are brown, take them out and let them drain on paper towels.
Making the Kadhi:
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the yogurt mixture except the water in a bowl till smooth. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Then add the water and whisk that in. THis method ensures the least amount of lumps. Then, set it aside.
- In a pan, add oil and bring it to a medium heat. Add cumin seeds, and crushed coriander seeds.
- Once they sizzle add the sliced onion to this. Cook in medium-low heat for 7-8 minutes until it turns brown.
- Pour the yogurt mixture into a saucepan on a low flame. Bring up the heat and let it slowly come to a boil.
- Stir at intervals to prevent sticking, cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes till the gram flour or besan gets cooked and the kadhi thickens. The consistency should neither be too thick or thin.
Tempering and Serve
- Heat oil in a small pan. Add the fenugreek, cumin and crushed coriander seeds and let them sizzle for a while, till they slowly turn golden.
- Stir in red chili powder and asafoetida.
- Fry for a few seconds and switch off the heat/flame.
- Stir and immediately pour this tempering into the kadhi.
- Before serving, add the Bhajis/Pakodas and serve hot with roti, naan or basmati rice!
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 148kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.02gSodium: 79mgPotassium: 228mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 209IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!