Sindhi Kadhi is a curry made by the Sindhi community of India. It’s a vegan curry made using chickpea flour, many vegetables, and mild spices. Serve it with steamed rice and aloo tuk for a comforting meal (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).

Try my other Sindhi recipes – Sindhi Koki, Aloo Tuk.

About Sindhi Kadhi

Sindhi Kadhi is a delicious Indian curry prepared in almost all Sindhi (an Indian community) households. It is a perfect Sindhi feast with chawal (plain rice) and Sindhi aloo tuk (double crisped potatoes) for Sunday afternoons.

This soupy kadhi is very different from its Punjabi cousin. It has no yogurt and has lots of veggies instead of pakoras.

Sindhi kadhi is spicy, tangy, sweet, and hot and has a lovely nutty flavor from the roasted chickpea flour.

The key to getting this curry right is to roast the chickpea flour on low to medium heat until it slightly changes its color and emits a nutty aroma.

This Sindhi kadhi recipe is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free. You can easily double or triple the recipe.

Ingredients

Vegetables – This is a great dish to use all your leftover veggies. Traditionally, okra (bhindi), green beans, brinjal, cluster beans, drumsticks, carrots, pumpkins, and potatoes are added to it.

You an also add thinly sliced lotus stem, green peas, cauliflower, etc to it.

Chickpea Flour – Chickpea flour (besan) thickens this curry and gives it a nutty aroma and flavor.

Oil – Use any cooking oil.

Tomatoes – Add grated fresh tomatoes to give the kadhi a lovely tangy taste.

Tamarind – Tamarind pulp also adds to the tang.

If using whole seedless tamarind instead of tamarind paste, soak 2 small lime-size balls in ½ cup water for 30 minutes. Squeeze and discard the pulp. Add the water to the skillet.

Jaggery – Balance the tang and spice with a little sweetness from jaggery.

Spice Powders – You will need a few basic Indian spice powders, such as red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt. You can swap red chili powder with cayenne pepper or paprika.

Others – You will also need cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds (methi dana), asafetida (hing), green chilies, curry leaves, fresh ginger, boiling water, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves) to make this Sindhi recipe.

To make it gluten-free, skip adding asafetida.

Use Indian green chilies, Thai green chilies, Jalapeno peppers, or Serrano peppers.

For The Tempering – You will need ghee, brown mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida, and Kashmiri red chili powder.

How to Make Sindhi Kadhi

Cook The Vegetables

Start by preparing the vegetables. You will need approx 3 cups of prepared veggies.

1. Potato – Wash and peel one small potato and cut it into ½-inch cubes. Soak it in water until ready to use.
2. Carrots – Cut a ½ carrot into ½-inch cubes.
3. Drumsticks – Cut ½ drumsticks into 2-inch pieces.
4. Pumpkin – Cut a small piece of pumpkin into ½-inch cubes.
5. Okra – Cut 3-4 okra into ½-inch pieces.
6. Brinjal – Cut 1-2 small brinjals into ½-inch cubes. Soak them in water until ready to use.

Add the veggies to a pressure cooker along with ½ cup of water and ½ teaspoon salt. Pressure cook for 2 whistles on high heat.

Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Then, open the lid.

Notes – You can cook the vegetables in an instant pot or a pan over the stovetop.

Make The Kadhi

Heat 4 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add

• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• ¼ teaspoon asafetida
• 2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• 2 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
• 10-12 curry leaves

and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.

Reduce the heat to low and add ½ cup chickpea flour in small increments. Keep stirring continuously while adding the flour to avoid the formation of lumps.

Fry until the flour turns golden brown (2-3 minutes). Stir continuously while frying.

Add ½ cup grated tomatoes and cook for a minute.

Slowly add 6 cups of boiling water while stirring continuously using a wire whisk from your other hand. Mix to form a lump-free mixture.

Increase the heat to medium and stir in

• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 2 teaspoon salt

Cover the pan and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the chickpea flour is cooked and the kadhi thickens, stirring a few times.

Add

• cooked vegetables
• 2 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1 teaspoon crushed jaggery

and mix well.

Cook for 4-5 minutes.

Temper The Kadhi

Heat ghee in a pan over medium-high heat.

Once the ghee is hot, add

• ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon asafetida

and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.

Remove the pan from the heat.

Add 1 teaspoon red chili powder and immediately pour the tempering over the kadhi. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

Kadhi Chaawaran, or Sindhi Kadhi Chawal (steamed rice), is a comfort food for many Sindhis.

This Kadhi is served in Sindhi homes with plain steamed rice and Aloo Tuk. You can also serve roasted or fried papad and pickle on the side to complete the meal.

Many homes serve sweet boondi with kadhi chawal to add a sweet taste to the meal.

You can serve this kadhi with Phulka, Plain Tawa Paratha, or lightly spiced pulao such as Jeera Rice, Peas Pulao for everyday meals.

Storage Suggestions

Let the Kadhi cool to room temperature and transfer it to an airtight container. It will stay fresh in the fridge for 2-3 days.

If you want to store it longer, you can freeze the Sindhi Kadhi. Let the Kadhi cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container. It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat it on the stove or microwave.

If you plan to freeze the Kadhi, it’s a good idea to divide it into smaller portions before freezing. This way, you can thaw only as much as you need, and you won’t have to thaw the entire batch each time you want to eat it.

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