Gujarati Kadhi
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Gujarati kadhi is a delicious yogurt-based curry that will bowl you over with its sweet and sour taste. Use an Instant Pot to make it a one-pot meal.
What is kadhi?
Kadhi or Karhi is a yogurt-based curry that is popular in the northern and western parts of India. Traditionally, to make this dish, thick yogurt is mixed with besan (chickpea flour) and watered down to the desired consistency. It is then cooked until the raw taste of the besan disappears. To finish it off, a tempering of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves is added.
As with any dish, there are variations to this besan kadhi recipe. Let’s cover the popular Indian kadhi recipes –
- Punjabi kadhi – Most restaurants in the US serve Punjabi kadhi. This spicy kadhi gets its beautiful yellow hue from turmeric powder. The addition of onion pakoras (fritters) is what makes this dish so finger-licking good and of course, filling.
- Maharashtrian kadhi – The recipe is very similar to the Punjabi kadhi, except it is served without pakoras.
- Rajasthani kadhi – This version is typically made without the use of onions or garlic, that is why the pakoras are chickpea flour-based. You can serve it without pakoras as well. It is often tempered with ghee instead of oil. Some versions call for jaggery or sugar to add a touch of sweetness.
- Kaale channe ki kadhi – This dish with Rajasthani origins has black chickpeas added to it. It is my absolute favorite thing to eat with rice.
- Gujarati kadhi – The simplest version of all, this sweet kadhi recipe is more watery than the others and also does not use turmeric. It is spicy as well as sweet (thanks to the addition of jaggery/sugar).
How to make Gujarati kadhi
This besan kadhi recipe is simple enough to make when you have limited time and/or ingredients at home. Here are the step-by-step instructions to make dahi ki kadhi over a stovetop. The pictures are followed by the instructions.
Add besan to yogurt in a saucepan Whisked besan yogurt mixture for Gujarati Kadhi Powdered jaggery, grated ginger, chopped green chilies added to besan-yogurt mixture Besan-Yogurt mixture in a saucepan Let the mixture come to a boil Cumin seeds are added to hot oil Add curry leaves, chilies, and asafoetida to the tempering Add the tempering to the boiled besan-yogurt mixture. 
Gujarati Kadhi
- Add besan and yogurt to a saucepan. Whisk them together until no lumps remain.
- Add water, green chilies, grated ginger, jaggery, and salt to the mixture and mix well.
- Cook this mixture over medium to low heat until the raw taste of the besan goes away – this will take about 10 minutes. At this point, lower the heat to a simmer.
- For the tempering, heat the oil or ghee (if using) in a small pan and add cumin and mustard seeds.
- When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and boriya chilies. Let it fry for 10 seconds and then switch off the gas.
- Pour the tempering over the kadhi and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes before switching off the gas.
- Garnish with coriander.
Variation / Tips
- Do not cook it on high heat or else the yogurt will curdle.
- It is important that the besan-yogurt mixture is lump-free. Use a whisk for best results.
- While this recipe calls for jaggery to sweeten the dish, you can substitute with an equal amount of sugar as well.
- I prefer to add tempering as a final flavoring but if you want to make it a one-pot meal, start with the tempering and then add the yogurt-besan mixture as in the Instant Pot recipe below.
How to make kadi in the Instant Pot
If you prefer a hands-free version, use an Instant Pot. The cool part is you can cook rice along with this besan kadhi since both these dishes cook in 6 minutes. Here’s how you do it –
- Add besan and yogurt to a saucepan. Whisk them together until completely mixed and no lumps remain.
- Add water, green chilies, grated ginger, jaggery, and salt to the mixture and mix well. Set it aside.
- Set the Instant Pot on Sauté Mode. Adjust the heat levels to ‘Normal’.
- Add oil or ghee (if using) into the steel pot. Once the display reads ‘Hot’, add cumin and mustard seeds.
- When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and boriya chilies.
- Pour the besan-yogurt mixture into the steel pot and mix well.
- Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program. Then select the Soup setting and set the cooking time for 6 minutes.
- When the cooking program is complete, wait for 10 minutes for the pressure to release naturally. Move the pressure release valve to Venting to remove remaining pressure.
- Garnish with coriander.
What to serve with kadhi?
This comforting combination of Gujarathi kadhi chawal (i.e kadhi paired with rice) is often served with a side of stir-fried potatoes (aloo ki sabji) or with khichdi.
Gujarati Kadhi
Kadhi is a simple yogurt-based curry that will bowl you over with its sweet and sour taste. Pair with rice and a vegetable dish for a complete meal.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk yogurt dahi
- ¼ cup gram flour/chickpea flour Besan
- 2 cups water
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered jaggery or sugar [see note]
- 1-2 Thai green chilies finely cut
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
For tempering
- 2 teaspoons oil or ghee
- ½ tsp cumin seeds jeera
- ½ tsp mustard seeds rai
- A pinch asafoetida hing
- 1 sprig of curry leaves or kadipatta 4-5 leaves
- 2 boriya chilies or whole Kashmiri dried chili
Instructions
Stovetop version
- Add besan and yogurt to a saucepan. Whisk them together until no lumps remain.
- Add water, green chilies, jaggery, grated ginger and salt to the mixture and mix well.
- Cook this mixture over medium to low heat until the raw taste of the besan goes away – this will take about 10 minutes. At this point, lower the heat to a simmer.
- For the tempering, heat the oil or ghee (if using) in a small pan and add cumin and mustard seeds.
- When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and boriya chilies. Let it fry for 10 seconds and then switch off the gas.
- Pour the tempering over the kadhi and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes before switching off the gas.
- Garnish with coriander.
Instant Pot Version
- Add besan and yogurt to a saucepan. Whisk them together until completely mixed and no lumps remain.
- Add water, green chilies, jaggery, and salt to the mixture and mix well. Set it aside.
- Set the Instant Pot on Sauté Mode. Adjust the heat levels to ‘Normal’.
- Pour oil or ghee (if using) into the steel pot. Once the display reads 'Hot', add cumin and mustard seeds.
- When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and boriya chilies.
- Pour the besan-yogurt mixture into the steel pot and mix well.
- Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program. Then select the Soup setting and set the cooking time for 6 minutes.
- When the cooking program is complete, wait for 10 minutes for the pressure to release naturally. Move the pressure release valve to Venting to remove remaining pressure.
- Garnish with coriander and serve with rice or khichdi.
Notes
Tips
- Do not cook it on high heat or else the yogurt will curdle.
- It is important that the besan-yogurt mixture is lump-free. Use a whisk for best results.
- While this recipe calls for jaggery to sweeten the dish, you can substitute with an equal amount of sugar as well.
- I prefer to add tempering as a final flavoring but if you want to make it a one-pot meal, start with the tempering and then add the yogurt-besan mixture. Refer to the Instant Pot directions.
Read the post…For helpful information on ingredient swaps, storage tips, meal prep ideas, and variations!
Disclaimer: Approximate nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and can vary depending on the exact ingredients/brands used. If you have health issues, please work with a registered dietician or nutritionist.
Nutrition
Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 106mgPotassium: 253mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 255IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 1mg
Diet: Gluten-free, Vegetarian
Course: Main Course
Method: Stovetop
Keywords: Gujarati, Kadhi, Yogurt based soup
Cuisine: Indian
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