mirchi ke pakore
My hubby and FIL love mirchi ke pakore. Here I have given the recipe of stuffing chilli with chutney but I also make them by stuffing aloo (potato) masala. Mirchi pakoda tastes great both ways.
Recipe of mirchi ke pakore/ green chilli fritters
8-10 bhavnagri mirch (large, broad not so hot green chilli)
1 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)
Salt to taste
Green (dhania pudina) chutney- for stuffing
Oil to deep fry
1. Wash and wipe mirchi. Make a slit on one side without separating from the base or slitting other side. Remove seeds of mirchi.
2. Take besan in a bowl and add salt. Add water little by little, mixing with other hand so as to prepare lump free batter. Batter consistency should be like pancake batter.
3. Stuff green chutney into each mirchi.
4. Heat sufficient oil in a kadhai/ wok. Dip each stuffed mirchi in besan batter and put in hot oil. Deep fry on medium heat, turning as needed till golden brown.
5. Drain bharwa mirchi ke pakore on absorbent paper and serve hot.
Aloo bonda
Aloo bonda is a famous Indian deep fried savory snack. It’s crispy on outside and soft inside. Aloo bonda or potato bonda is liked by adults and kids alike. In South India, this snack is called aloo bonda and in Mumbai, it is known as batata vada.
Recipe of aloo bonda
4 (potatoes) aloo - boiled, peeled and mashed
1 1/2 cups besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)
1 tbsp oil + for deep frying
2 onions- chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 green chillies- chopped
Salt to taste
Few curry leaves
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Coriander leaves- chopped
1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add green chillies, curry leaves and onion. Fry till onion turns translucent.
2. Add aloo, turmeric powder and salt.
3. Cook for 2 minutes and add coriander leaves. Mix and turn off the heat. Remove in a bowl and let it cool.
4. Make lemon sized balls out of the potato mixture.
5. Now for the batter, mix besan, red chilli powder and salt. Add water, mixing with other hand to get smooth, lump free batter of dropping consistency.
6. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok. Dip the aloo balls in the batter and deep fry in the oil. Fry till golden brown.
7. Drain on an absorbent paper and serve alu bonda hot with tomato ketchup or some chutney.
Bread pakora
Bread pakora is one of my favorite fritters. I wonder why I didn’t post it earlier. Bread pakora is a famous street food in India and is available at street vendors with their assortment of chutneys. You can watch the whole process of their making at these vendors.
Recipe of bread pakora/ pakoda
6 bread slices
1 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)
1/2 cup boiled and mashed potatoes
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 inch piece ginger- chopped
2 green chillies- finely chopped
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
Oil to deep fry
1. Mix salt and red chilli powder to besan. Add water little by little so as to prepare a lump free batter. Batter consistency should be thick pakora (fritters) batter like.
2. Mix salt, garam masala, green chillies, amchoor and ginger in mashed potato.
3. Cut each bread slice into 2 triangular pieces to get 12 triangles.
4. Divide potato mixture into 6 portions. Place potato mixture on 1 bread slice and cover it with another.
5. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok or a frying pan. When the oil is sufficiently hot, turn the heat to medium. Dip each potato stuffed bread in besan batter and deep fry in oil. Fry bread pakoda from both sides till golden brown.
6. Drain on an absorbent paper and serve bread pakora hot with chutney or tomato sauce.
hara bhara kabab
In this recipe of hara bhara kabab, I have shallow fried the kabab but you can also deep fry them in kadhai/wok. This is a healthier version. These kabab are healthy snacking option and can also serve as a starter. You can also serve them at a party and win accolades.
Recipe of hara bhara kabab/kebab
3 medium potatoes- boiled, peeled and grated
100 gm palak (spinach)
3/4 cup green peas (matar) - boiled
1 tsp chaat masala
Salt to taste
2 tbsp corn flour
1 inch piece ginger- grated
3 green chillies- finely chopped
Few coriander leaves- chopped
Oil to shallow fry
1. Mash boiled matar. Blanch palak leaves (stems removed) in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh in cold water. Squeeze out excess water from palak leaves and chop finely.
2. In a bowl, mix together, grated potatoes, matar and palak. Add green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger, chaat masala and salt. Add cornflour. Mix together everything really well.
3. Divide the mixture in 25 equal portions. Shape them into balls and then flatten them between your palms to form tikki or patty.
4. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle) and drizzle oil on it. Place these kabab on it and shallow fry from both sides till golden. Serve hot hara bhara kabab with tomato sauce or chutney.
makki pakora
Makki ke pakore was made in my kitchen by chance. When I was in a condition of slight sleep deprivation, my hubby asked for pakoras. Instead of taking besan, I took makki atta and added salt and spices to it. Then I suddenly realized, it was not besan but cornmeal. I decided to go ahead and made pakoras or bhajiyas from it. It was a hit and my hubby asked me to make them again.
Recipe of makki ke pakore/ bhajia
1 cup makki atta (cornmeal/maize flour/makai ka atta)
1 onion- finely chopped
1 tomato- finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
Oil to deep fry
1. Take makki ka atta in a bowl and add all the above ingredients to it except oil. Mix.
2. Add water to make a batter of pakora (fritters) batter like consistency. Beat well.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok. Drop small portions of the batter in the oil and deep fry till golden. Fry the pakoras in batches. Drain makki ke pakore on an absorbent paper and serve hot with tomato sauce or chutney.
banana fritters
Banana fritters or bajji is popular in Kerala. These fritters are also made from raw banana or plantain but here I have used ripe bananas or ‘pake hue kele’. Some people use rice flour to make kele ke pakore but I have used besan instead. What I feel is cooking is all about experimenting with ingredients and methods and make what suits your palate.
Recipe of banana fritters
1/2 kg ripe banana (kele) - chopped lengthwise into 4 pieces
1 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
Oil to deep fry
1. Mix together besan, salt, red chilli powder and baking powder. Add water little by little, mixing with other hand to form smooth, thick, lump free batter. Beat well.
2. Heat oil in a kadhai/ wok. Dip the banana pieces in the batter and deep fry 3-4 pieces at a time.
3. Fry till golden brown from both sides. Drain banana fritters on an absorbent paper. Serve hot.
namak pare
Sometimes I like to enjoy my evening tea with homemade namak pare or mathri. Namak pare or namak para is a traditional Indian savory snack which is also loved by kids. When you get tired of ready made namkeens, you tend to remember how your mother or grand mother used to make these goodies at home with which you stuff yourself while playing. Once you get the hang of it, namak pare is not difficult to make at home.
Recipe of namak pare
2 cups maida (all purpose flour/ refined flour)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil + for deep frying
1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1. Mix maida, ajwain, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Add 2 tbsp oil and mix with your hands. Rub between your fingers so that maida is well coated with oil.
2. Using warm water, knead all purpose flour into a stiff dough. Let the dough rest for 1/2 an hour.
3. Take a ball out of the dough and roll out on a lightly oiled surface into 1/2 inch thick round.
4. Cut into 1/2 inch strips lengthwise and then 1/2 inch across to get diamond shaped pieces. Do the same with rest of the dough.
5. Heat sufficient oil in a kadhai/wok or a frying pan and deep fry these namak pare on medium heat. Fry till golden from both sides. Also fry in batches.
6. Store namak pare after they completely cool down, in an airtight container. They stay fresh for weeks.
Note- fry namak pare on medium heat and not high heat and dough should be stiff otherwise they will not be crisp.
Sabudana vada
Sabudana vada is mainly eaten during fasting period especially Navratri fasts (vrat). They are so delicious that I sometimes make them with our evening tea. Some vrat ka khana are so tasty that everyone wants to eat them fasting or non- fasting. Sabudana vada is more popular in Maharashtra. If you observe fast during Navratri or Ekadashi, you can check out recipes in ‘Fasting food’ category in my blog.
Recipe of sabudana vada/ sago patties
1 cup sabudana (sago/ saboodana/ tapioca)
1/2 cup peanuts- dry roasted and coarsely grinded
2 potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed
3-4 green chillies- chopped
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves (cilantro) - chopped
Oil to shallow fry
1. Wash sabudana in a colander or a strainer. Drain. Soak sabudana in that much water in which it is ‘just immersed’ and no more. Let it soak for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Mix well all the above ingredients in a bowl except oil.
3. Wet your hands and take tennis ball size balls from the sabudana mixture. Flatten them to form patties.
4. Heat oil in a flat, wide pan and shallow fry these patties or wada in it till golden from both sides. Drain using a slotted spoon, on an absorbent paper. Shallow fry vadas in batches. Serve sabudana vada hot.
methi makki ke veg kebabs
These methi makki kebabs were made on spur when me and my husband were experimenting in kitchen. To our surprise, they turned out so delicious that we want to make them again and again.
Recipe of methi makki ke veg kebabs
1 cup makki atta (cornmeal/ maize flour)
1/2 cup chopped methi (fresh fenugreek) leaves
1 onion- finely chopped
1 inch piece ginger- grated
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp oil
Oil to shallow fry
1. Mix together above ingredients except oil to shallow fry.
2. Add enough water to knead into smooth dough.
3. Form small round kababs and shallow fry till golden brown from both sides. Serve hot methi makki ke veg kebabs with tomato sauce.
palak pakora
Usually pakora is not considered too healthy since it is deep fried but this one has a health angle to it. If you are craving pakoras then why not have palak pakora. At least you are consuming healthy palak this way and you are not compromising taste since palak pakora are delicious too.
Recipe of palak pakora/ pakoda
3 cups palak (spinach) - washed and chopped
1 cup besan (gram flour/ chickpea flour)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
Oil to deep fry
1. Mix besan with salt and all the spices.
2. Take palak in a bowl and add besan mixture. Mix well. Add 1-2 tablespoon water if needed. The mixture should be thick and such that round balls can be made from it.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai/ wok and when the oil is hot, turn the heat to medium.
4. Drop small portions of the palak mixture in the oil. Fry palak pakoda till golden brown from both sides turning as needed.
5. Drain on an absorbent paper and serve hot palak pakora with komato ketchup or chutney.
