Punjabi Kadhi Pakora Recipe

Kadhi Pakora, a popular Punjabi dish is often made in my kitchen, but I just couldn't manage myself to take step-by-step pictures and that's why it took me so long to share this delicious recipe. You can have kadhi pakora either at lunch or dinner with rice.

INGREDIENTS to make pakora:

• 1 medium-size onion - chopped finely
• Finely chopped cabbage - 100 gms
• Besan / gram flour - 3 tablespoon
• Rice flour - 2 tablespoon
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Refined oil for frying
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt, to taste
• Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Water - for making the batter, as required 

How to make pakora:

Mixed all the ingredients and make a thick batter. Heat the oil in a kadhai. When the oil is hot, make small balls of batter and fry them 3-4 at a time. When their color turns golden brown (both sides), strain the excess oil, and keep aside.

INGREDIENTS to make Kadhi:

• Thick curd (i.e., without water) - 6 tablespoons
• Besan / gram flour - 2 tablespoons
• Onion - 1 medium size, finely chopped
• Tomato - 1 medium size, finely chopped
• Fenugreek seeds (methi) - 1/2 teaspoon
• Dry red chilies - 3 to 4 pieces
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Ginger - 1/2 inch, finely chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Water - approx. 500 ml

How to make besan-curd mixture:

• In a deep bowl take besan and curd. Whisk it well and make a smooth mixture without any lumps.

• In a kadhai, heat 2 tablespoons of mustard oil. When the oil is hot, add dry red chilies, methi seeds, cumin seeds, and fry for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped ginger and fry for 1 minute.
• Then, add chopped onions and fry for 2 minutes.
• In the end, add the besan-curd mixture.

• Keep stirring continuously for 30 minutes, otherwise, there are chances for besan to stick to the bottom of Kadai. When the mixture starts to thicken, turn off the flame and transfer the mixture to a serving bowl. Add pakoras into the mixture. So try this recipe at home and do share your experiences. 

Note: You can make different types of pakora like onion pakora, dal pakora, spinach pakora, as per your choice and convenience.

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Ladies' Fingers (Vendakkai) Curry, the Tamil way

This is a simple gravy recipe in which ladies fingers/vendi/ঢেঁড়স is cooked in a tomato-onion, cashew nut and urad dal based gravy. This masala gravy is very much popular in the south India side. You can enjoy it for your everyday meal along with roti/ paratha and rice.

Things you'll need (Ingredients):

• Bhindi/Okra/Ladies' fingers -250 gm (washed)
• Onion: 1 large finely chopped
• Tomato -1 large finely chopped
• Garlic (peeled) - 8 to 10 pieces
• Ginger - 1/2 inch (peeled)
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
• Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
• Urad Dal - 1 tablespoon
• Fennel Seeds/Saunf - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cashew nuts - 10 to 12
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cooking oil - 5 tablespoon
• Salt, to taste

How to make this recipe (step-by-step process):

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Tasty Doi Begun in My Style: Recipes from Chandrani's Kitchen

Welcome to Chandrani's Kitchen with one more unique and tasty dish! 

Today I will share with you a completely vegetarian recipe "Doi Begun" (or commonly called "Brinjal in curd curry"). "Doi begun" is one of the popular curries from the Bengali and Odia cuisine. It is made with Doi or dahi which means curd and begun means brinjal/eggplant, mixed with spices. This recipe can be served with rice, chapati, or paratha. Let's see what ingredients are needed to prepare this dish.

Ingredients:

• Brinjal (or begun)– 1 medium-sized (sliced in thick square pieces)
• Tomato - 1 medium-sized
• Cashew - 1 tablespoon (make a smooth paste with tomato)
• Onion - 2 medium-sized (finely chopped)
• Salt & Sugar - as per your taste
• Fenugreek seeds (or methi) - 10 to 12
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
• Gram Flour (or besan) - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard Oil - as required to cook
• Cumin (or jeera) powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curd (or dahi/doi) - 200 gm 
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 teaspoon
• Dried red chilies - 2 pieces
• Bay leaf - 1 piece
• Asafoetida (or hing) powder - 1 pinch
• Black caraway (or Kalonji) - 1/2 teaspoon
• Dried fenugreek leaves (or Kasoori methi) - 1/2 teaspoon

Here's a step-by-step approach to make this delicious dish (with photos):

• To start with, cut the brinjal (or begun) into the thick medium slices, add salt, turmeric, and mix well for proper marination.

• Blend the curd with gram flour and keep it aside.

• Now take a pan, heat oil, and fry the marinated brinjal pieces in a low-to-medium flame.

• Fry the brinjal pieces until they become turn yellowish-brown (on both sides). Take them out from the frying pan and place them in a separate bowl.

• Next, add 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan and add black caraway, dried red chilies, bay leaf, fenugreek, and asafoetida powder. Mix well and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add chopped onions and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add ginger-garlic paste, mix well, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Once the pungent smell of the ginger-garlic paste goes off, add tomato-cashew paste and mix well.

• When the oil separates out from masala then, add previously blended curd (with gram flour) in the pan and mix well again.

• After stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, add 400 ml of water, then add salt, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and sugar (to taste). Cook for 10 minutes on a high flame. 

• Since I have blended gram flour with curd, the gram flour needs to be cooked well to remove any raw taste.
• After 10 minutes, add crushed dried fenugreek leaves and mix well. 

• Take it out in a serving bowl and add fried brinjal pieces. Now your "Doi Begun" is ready to be served with rice or paratha during lunch or dinner.

So, if you liked the recipe, cook it at your home and do let me know how's the taste in the comments section below.

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