Gujarati Kadhi - Yogurt Soup

Gujarati kadhi is an Indian yogurt soup served with rice, pulao, or khichdi and oftentimes replaces lentil dishes or dals.

Kadhi and curry sound to be similar and might be confusing, however, they are completely different. Kadhi is a yogurt soup made with spices and gram flour for thickening. Whereas curry is a spiced gravy in which vegetables, beans, paneer, or tofu are simmered and served.

Kadhi is gluten-free and there are different types of kadhi recipes and each one has its own uniqueness in terms of flavor, ingredients, and consistency.

Gujarati kadhi comes from the western part of India. It is absolutely flavorful, slightly sweet, spicy, savory, and mildly tangy. The sourness mainly depends on how tangy the yogurt is.

Ingredients

The Gujarati kadhi recipe is made with yogurt, chickpea flour called besan in Hindi, and spices. It uses more yogurt and less amount of besan compared to the other Punjabi kadhi or Rajasthani kadhi recipes. Also, adding turmeric powder and fenugreek or methi seeds is really optional.

It is slightly sweet in taste for which either jaggery or sugar can be used. A few basic spices are used for tempering in hot oil, ghee, or a combination of both. Chopped cilantro is used for garnishing.

Stovetop instructions

Kadhi can be made on the stovetop using the traditional method. This involves preparing a mixture of yogurt, water, and besan (gram flour), ensuring there are no lumps in it. You can use a hand blender to blend everything well.

Next, heat a saucepan on medium heat and add oil or ghee. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chili, curry leaves, and cinnamon sticks.

Now strain and pour the yogurt besan mixture into the saucepan using a strainer. Add sugar, salt, serrano pepper or green chilies, and ginger paste and mix well.

Allow the yogurt soup to come to a boil and then reduce the flame to medium heat. Cook for another 15-20 minutes and stir it intermittently. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and kadhi is ready to be served.

Instant Pot instructions

Making kadhi in the Instant Pot is really easy as it does not require any monitoring. Personally, I like to do the tempering first and then pressure cook everything in order to save time. However, tempering can also be added after pressure cooking.

First, whisk the yogurt and chickpea flour into a smooth paste and avoid any lumps. Then add water to it and mix well.

Turn the Instant Pot on saute mode with the normal setting. Once the Instant Pot is hot, add oil followed by mustard seeds, cumin seeds, whole red chili, curry leaves, and the cinnamon stick.

Using a strainer, pour the yogurt mixture into the Instant Pot. Add sugar, salt, serrano pepper, and ginger paste and mix well.

Cook in the high-pressure mode for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then remove the remaining pressure manually.

After opening, give it a quick mix and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

Serving suggestions

Kadhi is usually served along with an Indian meal with curries and Indian bread like roti or puri and rice or a rice dish.

Kadhi goes well with basmati rice and rice dishes like pulao and jeera rice. Gujarati kadhi is popularly served with khichdi topped with some ghee and it makes a nutritious comfort food when you are sick or if the weather is just too cold.

Kadhi can either be mixed with all the rice or khichdi at once or, one can take a few spoons of kadhi from a bowl into the rice at a time and enjoy it.

As kadhi is a light food, a bowl of kadhi itself can be comforting and soothing when you are sick.

Storage

Gujarati kadhi can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. It will usually thicken once it is refrigerated. However, after reheating, it will regain its consistency. You can always add a little water while reheating to adjust the thickness if required.

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