Course: Salty Snacks
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
Mixed Vegetables preparation:
- 2 medium size onions
- 3 medium size potatoes
- ¼ cauliflower
- 75 gram spinach leaves
- ¼ quarter lemon rind
- 1” ginger, grated
- 1 green chili ( more or less can be added as per taste)
- 1 tsp rock salt
- Few strings of coriander, cut coarsely
- Wash and cut all the above vegetables in small pieces and add to a big bowl and mix these nicely. Food processors can also be used to cut these.
Other ingredients:
- 100 g besan ( gram flour)
- 1 tsp rock salt ( more can be added as per taste)
- ½ tsp of haldi (turmeric powder)
- 1 tsp jeera (cumin seed)
- ¼ tsp ajwain seeds (carom seeds)
- 1 tbsp dry methi
- 1 tbsp yogurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 150 ml water ((can vary depending on the consistency required)
- Oil for frying as required – use any neutral flavored oil with a high smoking point to deep fry such as sunflower oil
Making Batter:
- Add besan, salt, haldi, jeera, ajwain seeds, methi, yogurt and lemon juice to the bowl of cut vegetables and mix these completely.
- Add water slowly little by little and make into a medium consistency. This should neither be too thick nor too thin.
- Taste the batter and add more salt if required.
Deep Fry:
- Take a deep kadai or pan and keep on medium heat. The quantity of the oil should be enough so that pakoras are immersed completely.
- Drop a little portion of the batter to the oil to see if the oil is hot enough. If the batter rises immediately without browning, it is the right temperature.
- Make a small ball of the mixture and gently drop in the hot oil. The quantities of balls which can be added at any one time will depend on the size of the kadai and quantity of the oil. Do not crowd a lot of them as they will get stuck and won’t fry well.
- Do not stir for a few seconds, then start stirring so that they do not stick together. A fork can be used to separate these.
- When one side of pakora firms up, looks cooked and is light brown, turn over gently and fry the other side.
- Turn over a couple of times and fry these until crisp and golden.
- Once done, then remove them with a slotted spoon draining as much oil as possible in the pan.
- Place these on kitchen paper or in a steel colander.
- Repeat making next batches as above. Ensure the oil is not too hot at any time. Heat can be reduced a little anytime to keep the oil at the right temperature.
- Serve these with any green or imli chutney and a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy.
Special Note:
- Pakoras make for an excellent evening tea time snack. These are served with green, yogurt or Imli chutney.
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