Bhindi Kadhi is one of the most popular recipes from North Indian cuisines. Okra is sauteed till they are crispy and then simmered in a creamy, tangy, and spiced yogurt besan (gram flour) curry.
Served warm with rice this comforting Kadhi chawal meal is something you don’t want to miss.
WHAT IS KADHI?
Kadhi or karhi is a dish originating from the Rajasthan. It consists of a thick gravy based on gram flour, and contains vegetable fritters called pakoras, to which dahi is added to give it a bit of sour taste. It is often eaten with cooked rice or roti. [WIKI]
Kadhi is an Indian gravy recipe made with two main ingredients yogurt (curd or dahi) or buttermilk and besan (gram flour).
Every region in India has its own Kadhi version and is so different in terms of flavors and consistency.
HOW TO MAKE BHINDI KADHI?
- Heat a tsp of oil in nonstick pan and saute the bhindi with salt for 5-6 minutes or till they are no more slimy. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, besan and turmeric powder. Add around 2 cups of water and make a very smooth and thin batter. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and ginger.
- Now add the yogurt mixture and keep stirring the kadhi on medium heat and once it comes to a boil add around 3 cups of water to it.
- Lower the flame to medium low and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Make sure to stir in between.
- After 10 minutes, add the sauteed bhindi to the kadhi and also add the salt.
- Let the kadhi simmer on medium-low flame for 20-25 minutes till it gets little thick.
- To temper, heat ghee on medium heat. Once ghee is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves and whole dried red chilies (broken into pieces).
- Saute till the mustard seeds start crackling and the red chilies turn dark brown in color. Transfer the tempering to the kadhi.
- Garnish with some coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.
RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS:
Some of tips I always follow while making kadhi,
- Start with more water, the kadhi has to simmer for a long time in order for it to develop flavors and become thick and creamy and for that you need to start with a lot of water.
- Use sour yogurt to make kadhi, sour the better. Kadhi is a great way to use leftover stale yogurt.
- If yogurt or Kadhi is not sour enough, add some amchur (Dry mango) powder.
- Use good quality besan (gram flour), spoilt, or stale smelling will ruin the recipe.
- Don’t skip the second tempering made in ghee. It adds a lot of flavor and color to the dish.
- Curry leaves are not traditional in Punjabi recipes but trust me on this, add it while tempering and you will never make it any other way.
- The kadhi thickens as it sits so adjust the consistency by adding water as required.
- I prefer adding the salt once the kadhi gets a boil. I have noticed that sometimes the kadhi splits when you add salt in the beginning.
- Add lots of garlic to the kadhi: this is a personal preference, I add 1 tbsp of garlic to the tadka.
- Don’t forget the final tadka, it adds to the flavor and really makes the dish pop, so do not skip it! I like using ghee for the final tadka, adds a lot of flavor and aroma.
- And the kashmiri red chili powder gives it a beautiful color on top.
- Use store-bought boondi in place of bhindi if you want other options.
HOW TO PREVENT KADHI FROM CURDLING?
If you face this problem of the kadhi splitting/separating when you cook it, here’s what you need to do-
- use room temperature yogurt
- whisk the yogurt well before adding to the batter: I usually whisk the room temperature yogurt first and then add besan to it.
- lower the heat before adding the yogurt, besan, water mix. Using high heat will cause the mixture to curdle.
- adding salt in the beginning might cause the kadhi to split.
- stir the kadhi continuously until it comes to the first boil: once you add the batter to pan, whisk it continuously, until the kadhi comes to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, you can then lower the heat and let it cook. You don’t need to stir it all the time after that.
CAN I USE BUTTERMILK INSTEAD OF CURD?
Yes, buttermilk is a great substitute and can be used in place of curd (yogurt) to make kadhi. In fact, many regions in India use buttermilk to make Kadhi.
CAN I MAKE KADHI VEGAN?
Yes, to make vegan kadhi, use vegan yogurt, and replace ghee with oil or vegan butter.
STORAGE SUGGESTIONS
I would not recommend you store Kadhi in the fridge, as it will become lumpy with time. But if you have leftovers, do not store for more than a day in an airtight container.
While reheating, add a little water and mix everything well and heat it properly till the Kadhi comes to a boil.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Serve Kadhi warm with steaming hot basmati rice or roti along with some kachumber (Indian spiced salad), green chutney, or pickle for that complete meal. You can also served with phulka roti or paratha as well.
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Bhindi Kadhi
Ingredients
For the yogurt-mixture:
- 1 cup yogurt at room temperature
- 1/2 cup besan/gram flour
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 cups water
For Kadhi:
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/2 cup bhindi chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
- salt as required
To temper:
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- few curry leaves
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 3 dry red chilies
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
Instructions
- Heat a tsp of oil in nonstick pan and saute the bhindi with salt for 5-6 minutes or till they are no more slimy. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together yogurt, besan and turmeric powder. Add around 2 cups of water and make a very smooth and thin batter.Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds,curry leaves and ginger.
- Now add the yogurt mixture and keep stirring the kadhi on medium heat and once it comes to a boil add around 3 cups of water to it.
- Lower the flame to medium low and let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Make sure to stir in between.
- After 10 minutes, add the sauteed bhindi to the kadhi and also add the salt.
- Let the kadhi simmer on medium-low flame for 20-25 minutes till it gets little thick.
- To temper, heat ghee on medium heat. Once ghee is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves and whole dried red chilies (broken into pieces).
- Saute till the mustard seeds start crackling and the red chilies turn dark brown in color. Transfer the tempering to the kadhi.
- Garnish with some coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.
