Pakoray wali Karhi, Fritters in a yogurt-based curry, is a hit in our home. It is one of my husband’s favorite foods, and I make it 2 to 3 times every month. It’s a wonderful vegetarian meal to have, and it satisfies like no other.
Karhi, the yogurt based curry, is made a variety of ways throughout the Asian subcontinent, and the recipe I am sharing today is one that is specific to my husband’s side of the family. I grew up eating Karhi that was a lighter yellow in color, almost a neon yellow, and without fritters (recipe can be found here). With fritters or without, Karhi is Desi comfort food at it’s best.
Pakistani Yogurt Curry with Dumplings / Pakoray Wali Karhi
Ingredients
Curry/ Karhi
- 3 medium onions, cut into large chunks
- 2 cups full-fat yogurt
- ½ cup gram flour
- ½ cup neutral flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 4 teaspoons turmeric
- 1½ teaspoons red chili powder
- Salt, to taste
Dumplings/ Pakoray
- 1½ cups gram flour
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ¾ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- Salt, to taste
- ½ – ¾ cup water (as needed)
- Neutral flavored oil, for deep frying
Tempering/ Bhagaar
- ½ cup neutral flavored oil
- ½ medium onion, sliced thin
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- ¼ cup curry leaves
- 1½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 button red chilies
Instructions
Prepare Curry/ Karhi
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Combine onions and water (starting with ½-cup, adding a bit more as necessary to form a smooth paste) in a blender and blitz until smooth. Transfer approximately ¼ of the blended onions to a large bowl and set aside (this will be used for the dumplings), and transfer the remaining puree to a large cooking vessel (one that will be used to cook the Karhi).
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Add yogurt, gram flour, and 6-cups water to the blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
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Add oil to the vessel with the larger amount of onion puree and place it on the stove over medium-high heat. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt, and sauté until the oil begins to separate, about 3 to 5 minutes.
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Slowly add the gram flour and yogurt mixture to the pot, stirring all the while. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until thickened to desired consistency, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. If the Karhi seems to be boiling over, adjust the lid a little to allow the steam to escape. Also, if the karhi seems too thick, add more water. If it is too thin, simply cook further. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare Dumplings/ Pakoray
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Combine the prepared pureed onions, gram flour, cilantro, mint, cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, baking soda, and salt.
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Starting with ½-cup water, gently stir in water to form a thick batter, adding more as needed. The consistency should be such that it can run from a spoon in a thick stream, and can hold its shape when fried.
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Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. To test if the oil is ready, drop a little bit of the pakora batter into it. The batter should begin to sizzle and rise to the surface of the oil within a few seconds. Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the pakoray directly to Karhi once cooked through.
Prepare Tempering/ Bhagaar
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Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and fry until the edges begin to lightly brown. Add garlic, curry leaves, cumin seeds, and dried red chilies. Stir and sauté until the onions are completely golden brown. Pour this mixture directly into Karhi and cover. Allow the Karhi to remain undisturbed for 15 minutes. Stir and serve.
Recipe Notes
Curry leaves can readily be found at local South Asian grocery markets.
Pakora batter can be prepared earlier on during the cooking process. Simply fry once the Karhi has been prepared. It is important to note that the Karhi should be warm when adding the pakoray, but the stove must be turned off. If the Karhi was prepared earlier on, simply warm it up, turn off the heat, and add fried pakoray. Leaving the stove on while adding the pakoray will toughen them up, and you will no longer have the melt-in-your-mouth characteristic of a classic Pakoray wali Karhi.
Kari pakoroo ke sath hi hote hai
Ya kosa new name hai kari pakoroo wale
Gujrati style kari (which I also share a recipe for on my site) doesn’t have pakoray in it.
Thank you for your completely unnecessary comment.
Uncle jee karhi like any other food does have variations,not everyone eats it the same way