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From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Eat Kadhi? Mild, No Salt, from 9mo

Kadhi is a tangy yogurt-and-gram-flour curry that adapts beautifully for babies from about 9 months, as long as you keep it mild and hold the salt. It carries milk as its allergen.

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When to introduce
From about 9 months, once your baby is comfortable with thicker, spoonable textures
Common allergen?
Milk (from the yogurt)
Texture
Smooth to lightly thick; pourable over soft rice, no lumps or hard bits
Key nutrients
Protein and calcium from yogurt, plus plant protein from gram (besan) flour

Kadhi is one of those dishes that tastes like a specific kitchen. Whisk yogurt with gram (besan) flour, simmer it low and slow until it turns silky and tangy, and finish with a tempering of spices bloomed in a little fat. Every region and family makes it a bit differently, from the sweeter Gujarati version to the pakora-studded Punjabi one, and it is honest, everyday comfort food, not a novelty. The good news for the highchair crowd: the base of kadhi (yogurt, flour, water, gentle simmering) is naturally baby-friendly. The parts you adjust are the salt, the heat, and any add-ins that are hard to chew. Serve it thinned over soft rice and you have a warm, spoonable meal your baby can actually manage.

⚠️ Make a small unsalted, unspiced batch for your baby; babies and toddlers do not need added salt, and hot spices are best left out this young.1

Why it matters: Kadhi is a real family dish that adapts to a baby with almost no fuss, so parents want a clear, respectful answer on age, allergens, and how to keep it mild and choke-safe.

Prep School: how to prepare kadhi for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées

🍴 Baby-led weaning

9 monthsIntroduce milk elsewhere first, plain yogurt is a great start, and watch for any reaction before kadhi. It is a pourable sauce, so the finger food is whatever it goes on. Make a plain baby batch of yogurt whisked smooth with a little gram flour and simmered until it thickens, with no salt and no hot chili, then spoon it thin over soft rice your baby can rake up.
9 to 12 monthsStrain the tempering or leave it out so no mustard seeds, curry leaves, or dried chilies reach the tray, and skip the fried pakoras, which are a choking risk. A pinch of turmeric or a whisper of cumin is plenty of flavor.
12 months+Serve it alongside soft rice or torn roti pieces so there is something to catch the sauce. You can loosen the rules a little with a very small amount of salt and soft-cooked curry leaves, and gently mashed pakoras are fine if they are moist rather than crisp. Keep the chili out or barely there.

🥄 Purées

9 monthsIntroduce milk elsewhere first, plain yogurt is a great start, and watch for any reaction before kadhi. Whisk yogurt smooth with a little gram flour and simmer until it thickens, with no salt and no hot chili. A pinch of turmeric or a whisper of cumin is plenty of flavor. Spoon it thin over well-cooked soft rice, or offer it in a bowl to scoop.
9 to 12 monthsStrain out or leave out whole tempering spices like mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried chilies so the spoonful has no hard bits. Skip the crisp fried pakoras entirely.
12 months+A very small amount of salt and mild, soft-cooked curry leaves can come in now, with the chili still out or barely there. Stir in gently mashed soft pakoras if they are moist and not crisp, and serve it over soft rice.

Is kadhi safe? Choking & prep

Kadhi is made with yogurt, so it counts as your baby's milk allergen, and it usually includes gram (besan) flour, which is a legume flour. Introduce milk elsewhere first (plain yogurt is a great start) and watch for any reaction before serving kadhi. The bigger everyday adjustment is keeping it baby-appropriate: serve it mild, without hot spices or chili, and without added salt, since babies and toddlers do not need salt and their kidneys handle it poorly.1 Leave out or strain whole tempering spices like mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried chilies, and skip crisp fried pakoras, which are a choking risk. If your family's kadhi is already salted and spiced, make a small separate baby portion rather than trying to rinse it down.

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Nutrition

Kadhi brings a nice pairing: the yogurt offers protein, calcium, and some healthy fat, while the gram (besan) flour adds plant protein and a little iron and fiber. Made mild and unsalted, it is a gentle way to serve dairy in a savory format instead of always sweet. Because the base is thin and pourable, treat it as the sauce that carries a more substantial food (soft rice, a little mashed vegetable, torn roti) rather than the whole meal on its own.

Goes well with

Soft, well-cooked white rice · Mashed or soft-cooked vegetables (carrot, pumpkin, spinach) · Torn, soft roti or chapati pieces · Plain steamed lentils (dal) for extra iron · A few pieces of ripe soft banana or mango on the side

Storage & freezing

Refrigerate leftover kadhi in a sealed container and use within 2 to 3 days. It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of water or plain milk when you reheat, and warm it gently while stirring so the yogurt does not split. Reheat until steaming, then cool to lukewarm before serving. Because it is a yogurt-based dish, do not leave it at room temperature for long, and toss any portion your baby has already eaten from.

More dairy foods to explore

🥛
KefirAround 6 months, in small amounts
🧈
Khoya6 months+, plain and in small amounts
🥣
KishkAround 9 months
🥛
LabnehAround 6 months
🧆
Labneh ballsAround 9 months, flattened
🥛
LassiAround 9 months

Introducing this allergen

Related reading

Common questions

Adapting the dish without losing the dish

You do not have to reinvent kadhi to make it baby-safe. The soul of it (tangy yogurt, silky gram-flour thickening, gentle simmer) stays exactly the same. What changes is the finishing: hold the salt, drop the chili, and either skip the tempering or strain out the whole mustard seeds and curry leaves before serving. A little turmeric and cumin keep it recognizably kadhi. If the adults want theirs punchier, season the pot after you have ladled out the baby's portion.

Why yogurt-based sauces need a little care

Kadhi is built on yogurt, which is why it doubles as your baby's milk exposure, and why reheating matters. Warm it low and slow while stirring so the yogurt does not curdle or split, and loosen it with water or milk since it thickens in the fridge. Treat it like the dairy dish it is: keep it cold until you cook it, do not leave it sitting out, and serve leftovers within a couple of days.

Can babies eat kadhi?

Yes, from about 9 months, as long as you make it mild and without added salt. The yogurt-and-gram-flour base is naturally soft and spoonable, so the main job is easing the spice and holding the salt.

At what age can I introduce kadhi?

Around 9 months is a reasonable start, once your baby handles thicker, spoonable textures. Some families wait until 12 months so they can serve a lightly salted, more traditional version. Both are fine; just match the seasoning to the age.

Is kadhi a choking hazard?

The smooth base is not a choking risk. The risk comes from add-ins: crisp fried pakoras, whole mustard seeds, and stiff curry leaves. Strain or skip the whole spices, leave out crunchy pakoras (or mash soft ones after 12 months), and serve it thin over soft rice.

What allergens are in kadhi?

Milk, from the yogurt. Gram (besan) flour is a legume, so if your family avoids legumes, note that too. Introduce plain yogurt on its own first and watch for a milk reaction before serving kadhi.

How do I make kadhi baby-safe?

Make a small plain batch: yogurt whisked with a little gram flour, simmered smooth, no salt, no chili, and only gentle turmeric or cumin. Skip the crisp pakoras and strain out whole tempering spices. Serve it thinned over soft rice.

Can I use my family's regular kadhi for my baby?

If it is already salted and spiced, it is better to make a separate mild, unsalted baby portion than to try to water it down. Babies do not need salt, and hot spices can be uncomfortable for a new eater.

Is the sourness of kadhi okay for babies?

Yes. The tang comes from yogurt and is perfectly fine for babies, and it is a good way to introduce a new savory, slightly sour flavor. Exposure to a range of tastes early can help with variety later on.

Can I add pakoras to my baby's kadhi?

Not the crisp fried ones, which are a choking risk. After 12 months you can offer soft, moist pakora pieces that mash easily, but for a younger baby, keep the kadhi plain over soft rice instead.

Sources

  1. CDC, Foods and Drinks to Limit (sodium)
  2. AAP HealthyChildren, Starting Solid Foods

Further reading

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Last updated September 2026. Next review December 2026. How we write these: built from current published guidance from the AAP, CDC, FDA/EPA, NIAID, WHO, and other pediatric and public-health authorities, with sources cited on the page. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these, and how we double-check the food advice.

This is general information, not medical advice, and is not individualized for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

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