Here is my authentic Gujarati Kadhi made to a traditional Gujarati family recipe. This kadhi is characteristically white with a sweet and sour flavour. It's a comforting dish that's prepared with plain yogurt, besan, a ghee tempering, curry leaves and sweetened with jaggery.
Perfect as part of a Gujarati thali.
Recipe Summary: Gujarati Kadhi
- ✅ Recipe Name: Gujarati Kadhi
- 🕒 Ready In: approx. 20 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 6 (easy to scale)
- 🍽 Calories: 122 per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Yogurt • Besan • Jaggery • Curry leaves • Ginger • Green chilli
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian • Gluten-free
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: This traditional Gujarati kadhi is thin, white, sweet-sour and gently spiced. It is made with yogurt, besan, fresh ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and jaggery for a comforting everyday dish.
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This kadhi must be quintessentially Gujarati in taste. It's sweet and sour thanks to the tangy yogurt and sweet jaggery.
Ginger and green chilli should give fresh warmth rather than a strong heat.
The final kadhi should be thin, creamy white and fragrant. It needs to be easy to pour over dishes like plain boiled basmati rice, my Nanima's simple aloo matar pulao or moong dal khichdi.
For a summery variation, try my fruity mango kadhi or in the cooler months, this ultra savoury pyaaz ki kadhi. You can also prepare farali kadhi with rajgira flour or this kadhi with okra.
Gujarati Kadhi Ingredients
Find the full ingredients list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Yogurt
I use full-fat plain yogurt with a mild tang because I find that low-fat yogurt can taste too sharp or sour, and it does not give the same creamy flavour.
I sometimes use my homemade set yogurt using live yogurt, but any good plain yogurt works.
Besan
Besan, also called gram flour or chickpea flour, lightly thickens the kadhi.
Remember that Gujarati kadhi should stay thin and pourable so I do not add too much.
Jaggery
Jaggery gives Gujarati kadhi its gentle sweetness.
I prefer lighter jaggery because it keeps the kadhi pale. Darker jaggery still works if that is what you have, but it will make the kadhi darker and give a deeper flavour.
Sugar also works in a pinch.
Ginger and green chilli
Fresh ginger and green chilli are important.
I crush them so there are no large pieces, but it does not need to be a completely smooth paste.
Gujarati kadhi is more about sweet and sour balance than spice.
Curry leaves
Curry leaves are non-negotiable for my Gujarati kadhi. Fresh curry leaves are best, but frozen curry leaves also work well.
Ghee
For everyday kadhi, the tempering can be simple with oil.
When I want it to taste extra special, I use ghee which is the authentic ingredient. It gives the kadhi a richer aroma.
I love using my homemade ghee from butter for this.
What I leave out
I do not add turmeric, garlic, mustard seeds or red chilli powder to this traditional version.
Those ingredients can be used in other kadhi variations, but they change the flavour and colour.
Gujarati kadhi is meant to stay pale, light and gently spiced.
How to Make Gujarati Kadhi
- Step 1: Whisk the yoghurt and besan until completely lump-free.
- Step 2: Add crushed green chillies and ginger, salt and water.
Top Tip
Whisk the yoghurt, besan and water until completely smooth before heating. Then bring the kadhi up gently while stirring. This helps prevent lumps and splitting.
- Step 3: Heat ghee in a heavy-based pan. Add cumin seeds, dried red chilli, cloves, cinnamon and hing.
- Step 4: Pour in the yogurt mixture, add curry leaves and extra water to thin out and heat gently.
- Step 5: Once it bubbles, bring the kadhi to a rolling boil. Keep stirring.
- Step 6: Add jaggery.
- Step 7: Allow to simmer until the kadhi thickens, stirring gently.
- Step 8: Finish with finely chopped coriander and serve hot.
Pro tip
How to Stop Kadhi Splitting
The main thing is to start with a smooth mixture.
Whisk the yoghurt, besan and water properly before heating.
Then cook gently while stirring.
Salt also helps stabilise the kadhi, so I add it early rather than at the end.
Do not blast the kadhi over high heat straight away.
Let it come up gently first.
Once it has thickened and looks smooth, it becomes more stable.
Serving Suggestions
Gujarati kadhi is the ultimate comfort food with simple khichdi, plain rice or cumin rice.
I also serve it with in a thali with soft Gujarati rotli and a flavourful Gujarati shaak.
One of my favourite combinations is with rasawalu kala chana nu shaak or tuvar nu shaak. When in season, my Mum always makes bharela ravaiya or bharela bhinda!
It also works so well with Gujarati puran poli and mag ni chutti dal.
Gujarati wedding kadhi is a special part of the wedding thali, along with patra, surti undhiyu and shrikhand. It is often served with matar pulao as well.
Gujarati Kadhi Troubleshooting & FAQs
Take it off the heat. Whisk a small amount of besan with water until smooth, then stir it into the kadhi. Return to low heat and stir gently until it comes back together.
Add a little more jaggery or sugar to balance the yogurt. Using full-fat mild yogurt also helps.
The besan was not whisked smoothly enough before cooking. Next time, whisk the yogurt and besan together first until smooth, then add the water gradually.
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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📖 Recipe
Gujarati Kadhi
Ingredients
Kadhi
- 1 cup plain yogurt sour
- 3 tablespoon gram flour besan
- 1 tablespoon green chillies crushed
- 1 tablespoon ginger crushed
- ¼ cup jaggery or sugar
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- salt to taste
- 2 cup water
Vaghar – tempering
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing
- 2 dry whole red chillies
- 4 cloves laving
- ½ inch cinnamon stick taj or dal chini
- ¼ teaspoon methi seeds optional
Garnish/Topping
- 3 tablespoon coriander leaves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup plain yogurt , 3 tablespoon gram flour and 1 cup water. Whisk until completely smooth and free from lumps.
- Add crushed 1 tablespoon green chillies , 1 tablespoon ginger and salt to taste, mix well.
- Heat 2 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Add 2 dry whole red chillies, 4 cloves, ½ inch cinnamon stick and ¼ teaspoon methi seeds (if using).
- Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and ¼ teaspoon hing, and allow to splutter.
- Carefully pour the yogurt mixture into the pan, add 1 cup water and 1 sprig curry leaves, stirring continuously.
- Bring the kadhi to a gentle boil while stirring frequently to prevent it from curdling.
- Add ¼ cup jaggery , reduce the heat and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The kadhi will become smooth and slightly thicker.
- Garnish with chopped 3 tablespoon coriander leaves and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- For total gluten-free kadhi, make sure the hing you use is suitable for gluten-free diets.
- Slightly sour yogurt gives Gujarati kadhi its authentic sweet and tangy flavour.
- Always whisk the yogurt and gram flour thoroughly before cooking to prevent lumps.
- Stir continuously until the kadhi comes to the first boil to avoid splitting.
- Adjust the amount of jaggery to suit your taste, as Gujarati kadhi is traditionally sweet, tangy and mildly spiced.
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Unknown says
I love Gujarati kadhi with chana and rotli. Love the pictures. 💗💗💗
jayashree says
Lovely kadhi, it is really a comfort food for me.
Sasmita says
Yummy and delicious kadhi. would love to have this with rice.
Soniya says
I am in love with this recipe and it's name too 😉 looks so creamy and Delish!
Lathiya says
In Kerala too we have some similar yougurt curry...your version looks interesting
Aish Das-Padihari says
I'm going to try this tonight and share a pic with you if it turns out well. I love kadhi anyday.
Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish says
I need to finally try my hands at this! Pinning to try later.
Rae says
What an interesting soup. I've never heard of most of these ingredients.
Linda says
This looks so tasty, can't wait to try it!