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Sindhi (Sindh, now diaspora across Western India) / West India · Indian

Sindhi Kadhi (Gram-Flour and Vegetable Curry)

A tangy, gram-flour-thickened vegetable curry from the Sindhi kitchen — roasted besan, tamarind and a medley of vegetables, traditionally served over rice with aloo tuk.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published August 3, 2026

A bowl of Sindhi kadhi — a golden-brown tangy gram-flour curry with drumsticks, cluster beans and potato, beside a plate of steamed rice and twice-fried aloo tuk.

Sindhi kadhi (often just called 'kadhi' or 'curry' in Sindhi homes) is a cornerstone of Sindhi cuisine — the culinary tradition of the Sindhi people, many of whom resettled across western India after Partition. Unlike the yogurt-based kadhis of the north and west, this one is built on roasted gram flour and tamarind, making it a tangy, vegan, vegetable-laden curry. It's the centrepiece of a traditional Sindhi Sunday lunch with rice and aloo tuk.

Yield
Serves 4
Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Total
About 55 min
Difficulty
Intermediate

Sindhi kadhi is a cornerstone of the Sindhi kitchen — a tangy, vegetable-laden curry thickened with roasted gram flour and soured with tamarind. Unlike the yogurt-based kadhis of the north and west, this one is entirely vegan, hearty, and built around a medley of vegetables. For Sindhi families, many of whom resettled across western India after Partition, kadhi chawal with aloo tuk is the classic Sunday lunch.

Roasted besan is the signature

The defining step is roasting the gram flour in oil until it’s golden and nutty — that’s where the curry’s deep flavour comes from. It rewards attention: keep the heat low and stir constantly, because burnt besan will turn the whole pot bitter. Then whisk in hot water gradually for a smooth, lump-free gravy.

A vegetable-forward curry

Drumsticks and cluster beans are the most characteristic vegetables, joined by potato, carrot, lotus stem and okra. Add the hardier vegetables to simmer in the thickening gravy; fry the okra separately and stir it in late so it doesn’t turn things slimy.

Tangy, with a little sweet

Tamarind brings the essential sourness and a touch of jaggery rounds it off. Serve it the traditional way — ladled over steamed rice with crisp aloo tuk alongside. Compare it with the yogurt-based Gujarati kadhi, and explore more of the region in the guide to West Indian cooking.

Ingredients

Serves
4
  • 1/2 cup gram flour (besan) Roasting the besan is the defining step — it gives the curry its nutty depth.
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • a few curry leaves, pinch hing (asafoetida), 1 inch ginger (grated), 1–2 green chilies
  • 2 tbsp tamarind pulp The signature sourness; adjust to taste.
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, salt
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves and a little jaggery

Vegetables (a traditional medley)

  • drumsticks (moringa), cluster beans (gavar), potato, okra (fried separately), carrot, lotus stem — use what you have Drumsticks and cluster beans are the most characteristic; okra is fried and added at the end so it doesn't make the curry slimy.

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Heat oil and roast the besan on low, stirring constantly, until it turns golden and nutty-smelling. Take care not to burn it.

    Why: Roasting the gram flour is the heart of Sindhi kadhi — it cooks off the raw taste and gives the curry its characteristic deep, nutty flavour. Burnt besan, though, ruins the pot, so keep the heat low and stir.

  2. Add cumin, fenugreek, mustard, curry leaves, hing, ginger and green chili to the roasted besan, then carefully whisk in hot water to make a smooth, lump-free thin gravy.

    Why: Whisking hot water into the roasted besan gradually prevents lumps; the tempering spices bloom in the same pot to flavour the base.

  3. Add turmeric, chili and coriander powders and the hardier vegetables (drumstick, cluster beans, potato, carrot), and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

    Why: The gram-flour gravy thickens as it simmers and the vegetables cook through, releasing their flavour into the tangy base.

  4. Stir in the tamarind pulp, a little jaggery and salt, add the separately fried okra, and simmer 5 more minutes. Finish with coriander.

    Why: Tamarind gives the essential sourness and jaggery rounds it; frying the okra first and adding it late keeps it from turning the curry slimy.

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Variations

  • With more vegetables

    Lotus stem (bhee), tindora, and arbi (colocasia) are all traditional additions — Sindhi kadhi is a vegetable-forward curry.

  • Spicier / tangier

    Increase the tamarind and green chili for the sharp, bright profile many Sindhi homes prefer.

  • No okra

    Skip the okra if you'd rather not fry separately; the curry is just as good with drumstick and cluster beans.

Serving & Storage

Serve over plain steamed rice (kadhi chawal) — the classic Sindhi Sunday lunch — with aloo tuk (twice-fried potatoes) on the side. Some enjoy it with boondi or papad too.

Pairs with: Steamed rice, Aloo tuk, Papad, Sweet boondi.

Storage: Keeps 2–3 days refrigerated and the flavour deepens; the gravy thickens, so loosen with a little hot water when reheating. Add fried okra fresh if possible.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 serving (with rice))

Calories
280
Protein
9 g
Carbs
38 g
Fat
10 g
Fiber
8 g
Sugar
8 g
Sodium
480 mg

Notable micronutrients: Fiber, Vitamin C, Iron, Folate

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Sindhi kadhi different from Punjabi or Gujarati kadhi?

Punjabi and Gujarati kadhis are yogurt-based (tangy from soured yogurt, often with pakoras or sugar). Sindhi kadhi has no yogurt at all — it's thickened with roasted gram flour and soured with tamarind, and it's loaded with vegetables, making it a hearty, vegan curry.

Why roast the besan?

Roasting the gram flour in oil until golden is what gives Sindhi kadhi its signature nutty depth and removes any raw flavour. Keep the heat low and stir constantly — burnt besan turns the whole curry bitter.

What vegetables are traditional in Sindhi kadhi?

Drumsticks (moringa) and cluster beans (gavar) are the most characteristic, along with potato, okra, carrot and lotus stem. It's a flexible, vegetable-forward curry — use a seasonal medley, frying the okra separately so it doesn't turn the gravy slimy.

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