About Kadhi
Gujarati kadhi is a thin, smooth curry of yoghurt and gram flour, simmered with ginger and green chilli and tempered with mustard, cumin, curry leaves and dried red chilli. Unlike the thick, pakora-filled Punjabi kadhi, the Gujarati version is light, pourable and distinctly sweet-and-sour.
It’s the classic foil to khichdi — the ‘khichdi-kadhi’ pairing is Gujarat’s ultimate comfort dinner — and a staple on the thali, where it cleanses and soothes between richer dishes.
Kadhi is made by whisking sour yoghurt with a small quantity of gram flour and a large quantity of water until completely smooth, then bringing it slowly to a simmer while stirring continuously. The stirring is not optional: yoghurt splits if it is heated fast or left alone, and a broken kadhi cannot be brought back.
Once it has thickened very slightly and lost its raw taste, ginger, green chilli and a spoonful of sugar or jaggery go in. The Gujarati preference for that touch of sweetness is the main thing distinguishing it from Punjabi kadhi, which is thicker, sharper and built around fried pakoras.
The tempering is poured over at the end and carries most of the aroma — mustard and cumin seeds, dried red chilli, curry leaves, asafoetida, and often whole cloves and a short stick of cinnamon that give Gujarati kadhi its characteristic fragrance. Fresh coriander goes on last.
The story
Kadhi exists across western and northern India, but the Gujarati take — slightly sweetened with jaggery and kept thin — reflects the regional palate. It’s everyday food, quick to make from kitchen staples.
Key ingredients
How it's made
Whisk the base
Yoghurt and gram flour are whisked smooth with water.
Simmer
Cooked gently with ginger, chilli and jaggery until slightly thickened.
Temper
A tadka of mustard, cumin, curry leaves and red chilli is added.
Serve
Poured hot over rice or alongside khichdi, finished with coriander.
How it tastes
Gujarati kadhi is thin, pourable and distinctly sweet-sour, quite unlike the thick, heavily spiced versions made elsewhere in India. The sourness comes from yoghurt, the sweetness from a deliberate spoonful of sugar or jaggery, and the tempering of mustard seeds, cumin, cloves, cinnamon and curry leaves gives it a fragrant, almost warming aroma rather than heat.
Where to eat it
Kadhi is home food and a fixture on every Gujarati thali, served in a small bowl to be drunk or poured over rice. Thali restaurants across the state serve it as a matter of course, and farsan shops keep a pot of it to accompany fafda and gota.
Worth seeking out
Gujarati Kadhi
Thin, sweet-and-sour, no fritters.
Fafda Kadhi
The thin kadhi served for dipping fafda.
Masala Kadhi
Thicker, spicier regional takes.
Pairs well with
On the table
Kadhi appears at almost every proper Gujarati lunch and dinner, and the combination of khichdi and kadhi is the standard light evening meal in a very large number of households. It is also the traditional accompaniment to fafda, gota and other fried farsan, where its sourness cuts the oil.
The same table usually carries Dal Dhokli and Undhiyu.
Foodie tips
Good to know
Gujarati vs Punjabi kadhi?
Gujarati kadhi is thin, smooth and sweet-and-sour with no pakoras; Punjabi kadhi is thick and contains gram-flour fritters.
Why does kadhi sometimes split?
If the yoghurt-besan mix is heated too fast without stirring it can curdle; gentle heat and constant stirring prevent it.
Is kadhi spicy?
It's mild — gently warmed by ginger, green chilli and the tempering, with sweetness balancing the heat.
What is it eaten with?
Most classically with khichdi, and also poured over plain rice or eaten with bajra rotlo.
Related dishes
Khichdi
Home › Food › Khichdi THALI & MAINS Khichdi Soft-cooked rice and lentils, ghee-laced and soothing — half of Gujarat's favourite dinner, khichdi-kadhi. AT A GLANCE TYPE Rice & lentil dish CATEGORY Thali & Mains REGION All Gujarat TASTE Mild • Savoury • Soft DIET Vegetarian BEST TIME Year-round SERVE Dinner GOOD FOR Comfort / […] Explore →
Dal Dhokli
Spiced wheat ribbons in lentils Explore →
Fafda-Jalebi
Weekend classic Explore →
THE SIGNATURE DISH
Gujarati Thali
One platter — a dozen dishes, sweet to fiery. Explore →
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