Gujarati Kadhi Instant Pot

gujarati kadhi in a copper serving bowl with rice and curry leaves on side

5 from 3 votes

Gujarati Kadhi is a sweet and spicy Indian curry recipe where yogurt gram flour mixture is cooked with spices made in Instant pot pressure cooker or stovetop.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Gujarathi, Indian

Keyword gujarati kadhi recipe, instant pot gujarati kadhi

Diet Vegetarian

Method Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 129kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Equipment

Ingredients

For Kadhi Mixture:

1 cup full fat yogurt (curd) ,slightly sour
¼ cup besan (gram flour)
2-2.5 cups water

For Kadhi:

1 tablespoon ghee (or oil)
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
2 dried red chilies
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 teaspoon ginger grated
1 stalk curry leaves
1 green chili finely chopped
pinch of asafetida(hing)
salt to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons coriander leaves

To Cook Pot-in-pot

1 cup basmati rice
1.5 cups water

Instructions

Preparing Yogurt Mixture:

Firstly, whisk together the yogurt, besan (gram flour), to a smooth batter. Then add water, continue whisking to make sure all the lumps are gone. Keep aside.

Stovetop Method

Take a kadai. Heat ghee (or oil), add mustard seeds, and cumin seeds, and let them splutter. Then add dry red chilies, methi seeds, cloves, and a cinnamon stick. Saute for a few seconds.
Then add green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, and asafoetida, and saute for 15 seconds.
You can also add onions and saute. But this step is optional. I dint add onions to this recipe.
Add the yogurt-besan mixture while stirring continuously. This prevents the yogurt from curdling.
Add salt, and sugar, and keep stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
Once the kadhi starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring at regular intervals to avoid the kadhi from curdling. If you find the kadhi too thick in consistency, then add extra water.
Once done add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Mix well.
Serve hot with moong dal khichdi or rice.

Instant Pot Method:

Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil or ghee, and once it's hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies, fenugreek (methi seeds), cloves, and cinnamon stick. Saute for a few seconds.
Next, add ginger, green chilies, curry leaves, asafoetida, and saute for a few seconds.
Note: You can also add onions and saute. This step is optional. I did not add onions to this recipe.
Add the yogurt-besan mixture to the pot. Stir continuously and mix well. Then add salt, and sugar, and mix well.
Place the trivet in the Instant Pot and place a bowl with 1 cup of basmati rice and 1.5 cups of water on top. This pot-in-pot cooking in instant pot allows both dishes to cook simultaneously, saving time and effort.
Furthermore, close the lid on the pot. Set the pot to SOUP (High Pressure) and increase the timer to 5 minutes.
We are using the SOUP setting to avoid the yogurt coming to a vigorous boil which could cause it to separate.
Once the pot beeps, let it release the pressure naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes.
Lastly, remove the lid away from you, and add lemon juice and coriander leaves. Also, adjust the consistency of the kadhi at this point. In case it's thick, turn on the SAUTE mode. Add some water and simmer for 2 minutes.
Instant Pot Gujarati Kadhi recipe or Indian Yogurt Soup is ready to enjoy with steamed rice, jeera rice.

Notes

I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT

Tips to make the Best Kadhi

Use sour curd: Use slightly sour curd to make kadhi. If you do not have sour curd, then keep the fresh yogurt at room temperature for 2-3 hours or add extra lemon juice, in the end, to make the kadhi sour.
Use besan: Besan is a key ingredient in Gujarati Kadhi, it acts as a thickening agent, and prevents curd from curdling. Use good quality, fresh besan.
Cook the kadhi on low heat: Cook the kadhi on low heat on a stovetop pot, to prevent it from curdling. If using Instant Pot, Cook the Kadhi in a SOUP setting to avoid the yogurt coming to a vigorous boil which could cause it to separate. OR you can also cook on PRESSURE COOK mode (low pressure) for 8-10 minutes.
Plain Yogurt: Use full-fat plain yogurt for the best results.
Fixing split kadhi: If the kadhi splits, then prepare the besan mixture by mixing 1-2 tablespoons of besan with some water. Add it to Kadhi and recook.
Add sugar or jaggery: Adding a little amount of sugar or jaggery helps to balance the sourness of the yogurt and gives the kadhi a slightly sweet taste.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition