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.
Vegetable pakora
Vegetable pakora along with hot tea was our rainy day treat today. As soon as I spotted dark clouds in the sky, I started mixing my batter as I knew that demand for pakoras will soon be there and how right I was!
Recipe of mixed vegetable pakora (bhajia)
1 cup besan (gram flour)
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 potato- peeled and cut into round thin slices
2 onions- chopped or cut into rings
1 small cauliflower- cut into florets
1/2 tsp red chilli powder or 2 green chillies- chopped
3/4 tsp pav bhaji masala
Oil to deep fry
1. Pass the besan through a sieve so that there are no lumps. Add salt, red chilli powder or green chillies and pav bhaji masala.
2. Slowly add water to the besan mixing by other hand so as to prevent lumps formation. Beat the batter well (you can use a blender) so as to incorporate air and pakodas turn out fluffier.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai (heavy bottomed vessel) and when the oil is hot enough, turn the heat to medium- high. Dip the vegetables in the batter and gently drop in the hot oil. Fry from both sides till pakoras turn golden brown. Drain by using a slotted spoon (pauni/ chhari) on an absorbent paper. Fry in batches. Serve hot vegetable fritters with coriander chutney or tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup.
Moong dal pakora
In the evenings when you crave something deep fried along with your hot cuppa chai, these moong pakoras serve as a satisfying snack. They are also a popular North Indian street food. Street vendors serve them with green chutney and grated mooli (radish).
Recipe of moong dal pakora
1 cup dhuli moong dal (skinless split green gram)
2-3 green chillies- chopped finely
1 inch piece ginger- grated
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
1. Wash and soak moong dal for 2 hours. Drain and grind to a smooth paste along with rest of the ingredients except oil. Beat well. This is an important step to make fluffy pakoras (fritters) since air is incorporated in the batter while beating.
2. Heat oil in a karahi (heavy bottomed vessel). To check if it’s sufficiently hot, drop a small portion of batter in the oil. If it sizzles and comes to the surface, your oil is ready. Turn the heat to medium.
3. Drop small portions of batter in the oil by a teaspoon or with your hand. Fry from both sides till the pakodas turn golden brown. Drain on an absorbent paper. Serve mung pakoras hot with green (dhaniya pudina) chutney or tomato sauce.
