Vibrant, tantalizing and perfect! These adjectives just don't do justice to the Instant Pot Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda that can be made in minutes!! Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda or Punjabi Karhi is a dish originating from the Indian subcontinent. It consists of a thick gravy based on chickpea flour and contains vegetable fritters called pakoras, to which Dahi (yogurt) is added to give it little sour taste. It is often eaten with boiled rice or roti.
Don't forget to check out the video recipe below!
What is Punabi Kadhi Pakoda?
Kadhi means “cooked slowly in a low flame" and since it is a dish originating from the Indian subcontinent hence the name Punjabi Kadhi. There are few recipes that fill your home with aromas and smells of good hearty cooking. Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda is one such recipe. Served warm with steamed rice, papad, and pickle I couldn’t think of a more satisfying meal. Instant Pot Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda is like a staple food which can be relished at any time, especially in the winter season. A perfect warming dish.
Different Types of Kadhi
There are a different kind of Kadhis like Kadhi Pakodi, Mangodi ki Kadhi, Sindhi Kadhi, Gujarati Kadhi, Rajasthani Kadhi etc. Here I am sharing one of my favorites and close to my <3. I am in love with my Instant Pot and made the Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda in it. It turned out amazing. Easy to make but superlatively delicious, this Kadhi plays the perfect host to delectable! It is one of the favorite foods among Punjabis. There is hardly anyone I know who doesn't like( Kadhi & Chawal ). Were there ever two words more perfect together?
Punjabi Kadhi goes perfect with Rice / Chawal
I just love Kadhi Chawal period. I have mentioned multiple times that I learned cooking from my mom and as cooking for so many years I have given my own twist to a lot of her recipes but I have not made any changes in the Authentic Punjabi Kadhi recipe. It reminds me of my childhood days back home when I was in college. It is a soul food for me. You don't need to deep fry the pakoras, do try out the healthy appe pan recipe version of Punjabi Kadhi with spinach pakoda appe pan.
How easy is it to make Punjabi Kadhi in Instant Pot?
This dish is so simple to make, you can make it in an Instant pot too! I couldn’t make a decent one in an instant-pot. I tried making it several times and didn't get it where I was going wrong :( (which is very unlike me). It was nowhere close to the delicious, creamy Kadhi that I learned from my mom. It was always missing that nice balanced taste to it. Yes, I had given up on it, but one day while I was speaking to my dear friend and fellow blogger Sonal from Simplyvegetrain777 (do check out the recipe that gave me the inspiration) and told her about the issue I was facing while cooking it in the Instant Pot, she guided me so well and explained and gave me instant pot tips which helped me. Armed with these tips from Sonal, I have upped my Instant-pot game and I can confidently say that I make a Delicious authentic Punjabi Kadhi in an instant-pot too !!
Punjabi Kadhi tastes awesome with Boondi
Do try this Instant Pot Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda, you won't be disappointed at all. I simply Loved the idea of adding Boondi / Crispy gram flour balls which we usually use in Raita ;) ain't that pure genius idea ? You can follow the video for a step by step process of making this awesome Kadhi.
Punjabi Kadhi Recipe Video
Can I make a Vegan Punjabi Kadhi?
*****I know what’s coming next… Someone is going to ask me if this Perfect Instant Pot Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda can be made dairy free?? In short, no. However, the honest answer is yes and no. This Recipe can easily be made vegan too. I usually make a vegan version for my friends and neighbors who are vegan by just replacing the whole milk yogurt to So Delicious coconut milk yogurt and it is lip-smacking delicious!
Instant-Pot Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda
Vibrant, tantalizing and perfect! These adjectives just don’t do justice to the Instant Pot Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda that can be made in minutes!! Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda or Punjabi Karhi is a dish originating from the Indian subcontinent. It consists of a thick gravy based on chickpea flour and contains vegetable fritters called pakoras, to which Dahi (yogurt) is added to give it little sour taste. It is often eaten with boiled rice or roti.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Sour Yogurt/curd
- 1/2 cup Gram flour/Besan
- One(1) Onion/ chopped
- 1/3 teaspoon Asafoetida
- Half (1/2) teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds/methi daana
- Half (1/2) teaspoon Coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Half (1/2) teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin/Corriander powder
- Salt to taste
- 6 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- One (1) tablespoon kasoori methi
- 1/2 cup cilantro /chopped
For the Spinach pakodas/fritters
- 1 cup besan /bengal gram flour
- 1 Bunch Spinach/ palak / Chopped
- 1 small Onion / Chopped
- 1 small Potato/ Grated
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder /Haldi
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds /Zeera
- 1 green chilli/ chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Oil
Instructions
- Combine the Yogurt,gram flour .
- Add 6 cups of water and whisk well using a whisk. Keep aside.
- Press Saute mode and set it on Normal by pressing the saute mode. Wait till the screen displays Hot.
- Pour the oil ,add the mustard seeds ,cumin seeds, Coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves ,ginger , dried red chili , green chillies and sauté for a few seconds and then add the chopped onions and sauté till translucent.
- Stir to make sure the ingredients don’t burn. Once the onions are soft add in turmeric powder, red chilli powder & coriander powder . Stir it nicely .
- Add the Yogurt,gram flour & water mixture, mix well .
- Set the Float valve to Venting.
- Press Soup Mode and set it on Less. Make sure that the pressure is set to Less.
- Set the timer for 15 minutes.
- After the time is up open the instant-pot and give the Kadhi a stir.add in the kasoori methi and chopped cilantro.
- Add in your favorite Pakoda , or serve it with Boondi and enjoy it with steam rice or roti.
For the Spinach pakoda
- Combine all the ingredients along with few tablespoon of water in a bowl and mix well to form a dough.
- Apply little oil or water and make small golf size balls.
- Heat the pan , add few drops of oil.
- Add in the spinach fritters /pakoda in each cavity. Keep rotating it after every minute to get a nice round shape and even color on the pakoda. it will take around 8- 10 mins .
- Just before serving Add the pakodas, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes
MD says
I tried this recipe today and it came out very good. The only issue I saw is that when I left the Float valve to venting as mentioned in the recipe, the pressure kept releasing and it wouldn’t switch over from ON to starting down the timer of 15 mins. Only when I moved the valve to Sealing did the pressure build up and the timer start. I followed all the other settings (soup, low pressure, etc) exactly as mentioned in the recipe.
paulomi says
Can u share receipe of pakira for kadhi
Soniya Saluja says
Hi paulomi, here are 2 ways you can make the Pakora
This is air fryer version, you cB even shallow fry it
https://thebellyrulesthemind.net/air-fryer-onion-bhaji-onion-pakoda-recipe/
This is a appe pan version, again you can shallow fry them too
https://thebellyrulesthemind.net/punjabi-kadhi-spinach-pakoda-appe-pan/
Laila says
Hello...did you do QPR OR NPR
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Leila, you can do a quick release
Radhika says
I have regular américain store yogurt, how do i make it sour ? does greek yogurt make any difference ?
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Radhika, the best way to get the sour taste is to keep the yogurt/ Greek yogurt outside of the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight .
bahineehgt says
I made this kadhi twice last week . It comes out really good ..thanks for the recipe
Soniya Saluja says
So glad to hear that?Thanks for sharing your feedback with us!
Luci Cook says
I haven't heard of punjabi kadhi pakoda before but it looks really delicious.
Lauren Berger says
This looks so good! I dont have an instant pot, but everyone is talking about them!
Soniya Saluja says
Thanks Lauren, yes instant pot has a crazy following right now.. but you can make this on stove top too. Link of the recipe is given in the post :) check it out!
Amy | The Cook Report says
This looks so creamy and delicious, I love it!
Soniya Saluja says
Thanks Amy, hope you give it a try!
Gabi says
This looks fantastic and would be my perfect comforting Indian dish in winter time. I love it!
Soniya Saluja says
Totally... A winter delight !! But I can hear it in any season :)
foodtasticmom2013 says
I've never had Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda before but your pictures are making me want to try it!
Soniya Saluja says
Thanks, do give it a try instant pot or not!! You won't be disappointed ?
Heidy L. McCallum says
Oh my your recipe for Instant Pot Punjabi Kadhi looks outstanding. I have never tried it but your images make me really want to enjoy a meal of Punjabi Kadhi as soon as possible.
Kelly Moyer says
I love my recipes and here is a new one to try. This looks awesome. Yum!!
Jaclyn Anne says
I am always looking for new recipes to try in the Instant Pot and this Punjabi Kadhi Pakoda looks amazing! I can't wait to try it!