Vegetable Pakora

[Jason Perlow]

Suvir:

Whats your favorite preparations for pakora? what veggies and spice mixtures do you use?

This is one of my favorite indian snacks, the indian answer to tempura.

[Suvir Saran]

Wow! I wish you had asked this just an hour ago. I just finished making tons of french fries and making a dinner out of them. Just french fries... It is one of my favorite meals.

I also love pakoras.

Spinach, onions, potatoes, cauliflower, green chiles, paneer, tofu, eggplant and sweet potato are some of my favored veggies.

I often will add some rice flour into the chickpea batter.

And at other times I use spinach as a way of making the pakoras crunch and add other finely chopped veggies into it.

Would you make them at home? Are you up for some deep frying? If so, I can email you a recipe, and you can make some, and post about your experience with the recipe here. And maybe you will even share some pictures. What do you say?

[Suvir Saran]

SPINACH, ONION AND POTATO PAKORAS

Palak Pakoras

Makes about 30

Most Americans are familiar with pakoras from eating at Indian restaurants. Traditionally they are made with one vegetable at a time, and each vegetable is fried in a specific shape. But I got this recipe from my mother who invented it to feed an army of starving teenagers (we’d bring our friends home with us) every afternoon after cricket. Hers were made with several – not one single – vegetables: spinach, onion and potato. And she used less batter than is usual so that they were oddly shaped, quick to make, lighter and, I think, more interesting than the traditional. I typically make them as hors d’oeuvres for parties. But, when I’m feeling greedy for them, I’ve been know to make them for dinner, accompanied by a hard boiled egg for protein, so that I can eat as many as I like without fear of ruining my appetite for the main course.

These are unquestionably best straight out of the oil but in a pinch, you can reheat leftovers on a baking sheet at 180? or in a toaster oven. Save the broken bits that fall off of the pakora in a baggy in the refrigerator to eat crumbled on top of yogurt.

SPICE POWDER

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon garam masala (page 000)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (ajawain), optional

6 firmly packed cups chopped, stemmed spinach

1 raw, red boiling potato, peeled and very finely diced

1 red onion, cut into medium (about 3/4 inch) dice

1 fresh, hot green chili, very finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups chickpea flour (besan)

1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), optional

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 3/4 cups water

Canola oil, for deep frying

1. For the spice powder, combine all of the spices in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind very coarsely (there will still be large pieces of seed).

2. Combine the spice powder with all of the other ingredients except the water and oil in a large bowl and stir to coat everything with the flour. Add the water and stir to make a batter.

3. Pour about 3 inches oil into a large saucepan or medium kadai and heat to 350?F over high heat. Use a quarter cup measure or large serving spoon to measure out about 3 tablespoons of the pakora mixture and slide it into the hot oil. Immediately turn the heat down to medium. Spoon several more pakoras into the oil (4 or 5 total) and cook 1 minute. Turn the pakoras over with a slotted spoon and cook 1 more minute. Then turn the heat up to high and continue cooking, turning twice, until evenly browned all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined platter with a slotted spoon and drain. Repeat to cook all of the pakoras. Serve with Mint, Cilantro or Tamarind Chutney.

[Jason Perlow]

This looks quite doable. I think we will have to try this.

[Suvir Saran]

Anna,

I see you are browsing.... This may be one of those recipe The Dane may actually grow to love and crave for.

Try it, and feel free to ask me as many questions as you feel necessary.

[Suvir Saran]

Besan and Pakoras

You may find some great recipes and tips on the above thread.

Jason/Anna, have you made these yet??

[Anna N]

Anna,

I see you are browsing.... This may be one of those recipe The Dane may actually grow to love and crave for.

Try it, and feel free to ask me as many questions as you feel necessary.

Suvir, The Dane has an aversion to almost anything called "vegetable". I know I won't make a convert of him as I have been trying for nearly half a century!

But my love is onion bhajias (what's the difference between pakoras and bhajias and is the spelling right?). So I have tried over and over to make the onion bhajias and am still not completely happy. It's not that they don't turn out - they are just not what I am seeking which is probably quite inauthentic. I have a vision of something very oniony, very spicy though not necessarily hot, and something very crispy. I come closer each time I try. For a while there I lost my source of chickpea flour but that has been remedied. Now my kitchen is undergoing a re-decorating job. I am still cooking and trying to do mamster's market basket and work out dishes for my tasting menu but the rest will have to wait until my kitchen is back in order. It's driving me crazy! Before I could reach for things blindfolded, now I have to rummage through boxes just to find a utensil!

[A Scottish Chef]

The Dane has an aversion to almost anything called "vegetable".

I have a recipe for Chicken Pakora I use that's very popular with my cusomters. I'll put it up here if you would like. Or would it be better in a different thread?

I'm a bit lost at the minute as to whats ok to posts hither and thither

[Suvir Saran]

The Dane has an aversion to almost anything called "vegetable".

I have a recipe for Chicken Pakora I use that's very popular with my cusomters. I'll put it up here if you would like. Or would it be better in a different thread?

I'm a bit lost at the minute as to whats ok to posts hither and thither

You can post the recipe here.. or start a new thread called Chicken Pakora.

But post you must.. you now have Anna all hungry.. Dane waiting and also me and my friends..

Thanks.

[Suvir Saran]

But my love is onion bhajias (what's the difference between pakoras and bhajias and is the spelling right?).  So I have tried over and over to make the onion bhajias and am still not completely happy.  It's not that they don't turn out - they are just not what I am seeking which is probably quite inauthentic.  I have a vision of something very oniony, very spicy though not necessarily hot, and something very crispy.  I come closer each time I try.  For a while there I lost my source of chickpea flour but that has been remedied.  Now my kitchen is undergoing a re-decorating job.  I am still cooking and trying to do mamster's market basket and work out dishes for my tasting menu but the rest will have to wait until my kitchen is back in order.  It's driving me crazy!  Before I could reach for things blindfolded, now I have to rummage through boxes just to find a utensil!

Bhajias are great. I love onion bhajia as well.

You can try the above recipe. I am sure you will love it.

Add more onion than I suggest... maybe remove some of the spinach and add very finely sliced onions instead.

And do tell us what you think.

I am sure the Dane will love the chicken pakora recipe that a scottish chef will share with us.