Sindhi kadhi is a daily dish of Sindhi home cooking, distinct from the richer, creamier curries of Punjab and Mughlai cuisine. Its defining ingredient is besan (chickpea flour), toasted in oil and whisked into water to create a smooth, nutty gravy that is thinner than most curries. Seasonal vegetables (drumstick, eggplant, okra, potato, tomato) are added, and tamarind pulp gives a tangy sourness that balances the besan's earthiness. Unlike most South Asian curries, Sindhi kadhi uses no dairy and no onion-garlic base; the flavour comes entirely from the toasted besan, the vegetables, and the tamarind. Eaten with steamed rice or koki (Sindhi flatbread), it is the everyday meal of Sindh province, simple, vegetarian, and deeply satisfying.
A tangy, nutty, slightly sour gravy coating tender vegetables, the besan giving a toasty depth, the tamarind a bright sharpness. Eaten with rice, each spoonful is a warm, comforting mix of vegetables in a light but flavourful sauce.
The technique is a toasted-besan gravy. Besan (chickpea flour) is dry-roasted or toasted in oil until fragrant and darker, about 5 minutes. Water is whisked in gradually to prevent lumps, creating a smooth, pourable gravy. Vegetables are added: drumstick, okra, potato, tomato, each cut into large pieces. Tamarind pulp (soaked and strained) is added for sourness, along with turmeric, red chili, curry leaves and salt. The kadhi is simmered for 20 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the gravy has thickened slightly. The toasted besan is the key: untoasted besan gives a raw, pasty flavour; toasted besan gives the nutty, complex base that defines Sindhi kadhi.
Variations
Some addokra or lotus root. A version with dried red chilies is spicier.
On the Palate
Where Sindhi Kadhi sits in the Pakistani flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
5 steps · 15 min
- 15 min
Toast 80g besan in 4 tbsp oil until fragrant and darker, about 5 minutes.
Watch outToast the besan in oil until it's fragrant and a shade darker — untoasted chickpea flour leaves the gravy raw-tasting and pasty.
- 25 min
Gradually whisk in 800ml water until smooth; add 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chili, curry leaves and salt.
Watch outWhisk the water in gradually and keep whisking — dump it in at once and the toasted flour seizes into lumps you can't smooth out.
- 35 min
Add diced vegetables: 2 potatoes, 1 eggplant, 200g okra, 2 tomatoes.
- 48 min
Add 2 tbsp soaked tamarind pulp; simmer 25 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- 54 min
Serve hot with steamed rice or koki bread.
