I love Gujarati food and grew up enjoying it with many Gujarati friends in school and college. Gujarati Dal, Dal Dhokli, Khandvi, Thepla, Dabeli, and Khaman Dhokla are some of my favorites. Kadhi is a yogurt-based soup that is widely popular in Northern and Western India. However, every region (or even every household) has its own perfect kadhi recipe. This kadhi, which has a sweet, sour, and savory flavor, is one such popular and famous curry recipe from the state of Gujarat in Western India. My favorite way to enjoy this kadhi is just as a large bowl of soup, it is so warming, or on top of white rice or khichdi with some pickle and added tadka (tempering) made with ghee.

What is Gujarati Kadhi?

Gujarati kadhi is a version of kadhi that is made in Gujarat. It’s a famous Gujarati meal made with gram flour and buttermilk or dahi. Gujarati food is incomplete without kadhi. This Kadhi has a sour and sweet flavor, and is very different form Punjabi Kadhi with has a thicker consistency and is often served with onion pakoras. It’s the perfect comfort food when served with a bowl of steaming rice or khichdi. Adding any legume dish as a side dish is the icing on the cake. Turmeric powder is an optional ingredient in Gujarati Khadi. In most Gujarati households, the Kadhi is not yellowish, which is the recipe I am sharing here.

You will love this Kadhi

It’s perfect for weekday dinners and when you’re looking for something light to eat. Easy, fuss-free, and soothing. Make with simple ingredients such as yogurt and gram flour. It’s excellent when served with simple rice or khichdi.

Ingredients you’ll need

Yogurt: To make this kadhi amazing, always use sour yogurt. To make yogurt sour simply leave it on the counter for a few hours. I make yogurt in Instant pot. It is easily available in grocery stores as well. I prefer to use whole milk yogurt. Besan (Gram Flour): An important ingredient in this dish is besan. It holds the kadhi together and prevents the yogurt from curdling. Sugar: To balance out the sourness, a little sugar is added. Green chili, ginger, and garlic: To give the kadhi an extra taste, you can increase or decrease the amount of green chili depending on your taste. If you’re making this recipe as a Jain, leave off the ginger and garlic. Tempering: Curry leaves, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves, bay leaf, hing, cinnamon sticks, and dry red chilies are tempered in hot ghee. Ghee enhances the flavor of the kadhi to the next level, so don’t skip that. Garnish: Cilantro leaves. If you like, you can add another round of tempering at the end, I typically skip it.

How to make Gujarati Kadhi?

In a mixing bowl, add the yogurt and besan. Whisk it well. Then add water, continue whisking to make sure no lumps are formed. 

In a vessel, add ghee and let it heat on medium-high heat. Then add all the tempering ingredients. Sauté them for a minute. Make sure they do not burn. 

Add green chili pepper, ginger, and garlic (if using). Saute for 30 seconds. 

Add the yogurt mixture while stirring continuously.  It is important to keep stirring here, so the yogurt mixture does not curdle.

Add salt, sugar.  Keep stirring until it starts to boil. (We don’t want the kadhi to curdle).

Once the kadhi starts boiling, it is okay to not stir anymore. Keep on low and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. 

Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice, khichdi or roti. 

How to serve?

This Gujarati Kadhi goes well with rice, roti, and khichdi.

Tips to make perfect Kadhi

I prefer to make it a one-pot meal. I begin with the tempering and then add the yogurt besan mixture, but you can add the tempering last if you want. Keep your yogurt out of the fridge for a few hours to make it sour. Keep stirring the yogurt mixture once on heat, so that it does not curdle. You can stop stirring once the kadhi starts to boil.

Common Questions

You might like more recipes I have shared that would pair well with this kadhi:

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