First, gather all the ingredients for the kadhi. Sift the chickpea flour into a bowl to remove lumps and ensure a smooth kadhi.

Add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, and other spices to the chickpea flour.

Whisk everything well. Add water as needed to make a thin batter with the chickpea flour and yogurt.

Meanwhile, heat a pan and add ghee. Add green chili and asafoetida for tempering.

Add ginger, dried red chili, green cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns, and bay leaf. Sauté for 10 seconds, then pour in the chickpea flour and yogurt mixture. Cook while stirring.

Bring the kadhi to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Once it boils, simmer on low heat for about 12-15 minutes.

For the Pakora:
While the kadhi is cooking, prepare the pakoras. Sift chickpea flour into a mixing bowl. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, carom seeds, and salt. Add water to make a thick batter and whisk well for 3-4 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan. When hot, drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil to make small fritters.

The pakoras will puff up nicely even without baking soda due to the well-whisked batter. Fry until golden brown on both sides, then remove and soak them in warm water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and add the pakoras to the cooked kadhi. Let them soak in the curry.

After cooking for another 5-7 minutes, turn off the heat and sprinkle with finely chopped cilantro. For the tempering, heat ghee or oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, and dried red chilies. Pour this tempering over the kadhi.