PAKORA
Bread Pakoras #1
Slices of stale bread 4
Thin buttermilk ½ cup
Ghee for deep frying
For the Batter:
Besan ¾ cup
Turmeric 1 tsp
Asofoetida 1 tsp
Red chilli powder ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Ajawain seeds 1/4 tsp
Remove the crust from the slices and cut each one into six or nine pieces. Dip each piece into the buttermilk. Slightly squeeze and keep ready on a plate. Mix all the ingredients for the batter and add water to make batter medium consistency. Dip each bread piece and deep fry till golden. Offer hot.
Bread Pakoras #2
Bread slices 6
Potato 1 (boiled and mashed)
Green chillies 2 (finely chopped)
Green coriander 1 tbsp (finely chopped )
Garam masala powder 1/2 tbsp
Asofoetida 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee for deep frying
Soak bread slices in water for a minute. Remove and squeeze out water. In a bowl, mix potato, crumbled bread slices, green chillies, green coriander, asofoetida, garam masala powder and salt. Heat ghee in a kadai. Take a spoonful of the prepared batter and deep fry till golden brown.
Cheesy Rice Pakoras
2 cups leftover rice
1 cup Gram flour (besan)
Water
½ cup grated cheese
1 inch ginger, minced
1 or 2 green chillies, minced
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmuric
salt to taste
ghee for frying
Add all the ingredients and make thick batter, adding water as required. Heat ghee and add teaspoon full of batter and fry till golden brown.
Coriander Pakoras
1 big bunch of coriander leaves
1 cup besan
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Asofoetida
1 tsp. of crushed ajwain seeds
Salt to taste
Ghee for frying
Chop the coriander leaves finely. In a bowl add besan, chopped coriander leaves and remaining ingredients (except ghee). Heat ghee in frying pan. Add 1-2 tsp of hot ghee in the prepared batter. In the ghee add small amounts of batter and deep fry till crispy brown.
Dal Pakora
1 cup channa dal
1/2 cup moong dal
1/2 cup masoor dal
1/4 cup urad dal
1/4 cup tur dal
Coriander seeds 2tbsp
Cumin seeds 2tbsp
Ginger 2 inches
Asofoetida 1 tsp
Coriander leaves or fresh spinach chopped 1/2 cup
3-4 hot medium sized green chillies
Salt to taste
Pinch of baking soda
Ghee for deep frying
Wash dals and soak them separately. Make smooth paste of ginger, green chillies, coriander seeds and cumin seeds then grind above soaked dals into a coarse paste. Mix by hand into a smooth paste and add salt and pinch of baking soda. Add chopped spinach or coriander leaves to it. Heat ghee in pan. Make small balls or drop with small spoon in hot ghee and fry till light brown. Offer hot.
Pakoras
For Batter:
1/2 cup Besan (chickpea flour)
5 oz Warm water
1/4 tsp Red pepper
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp paprika
2 Large Potatoes
Handful fresh spinach leaves
Ghee for deep frying
In a bowl put the besan and half the water, and stir until it becomes a thick batter. Beat hard for 5 minutes. Gradually add the rest of the water, and leave to swell for 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper and Garam Masala and beat again. Wash peel and slice the potatoes. Wash and pat dry the spinach leaves. Heat ghee, dip the vegetables in the batter and deep fry until golden brown. Serve hot.
Paneer Bhajias
2 pounds Paneer
Ghee for frying
For the Marinade:
1-1/2 tbsp. Kashmiri degi mirch (paprika) paste
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
3/4 tsp. black pepper powder
1/8 cup lemon juice
Salt according to taste
For the Batter:
3/4 cup gram flour
2 tsp. coriander powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
2 tsp. Kashmiri deghi mirch (paprika) paste
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1/4 tsp. aniseed powder
1/4 tsp. all spice powder
2 tsp. chopped ginger
1 tsp. finely chopped green chilies
A handful of chopped coriander leaves
Cut paneer into cubes and set aside. Mix all the marinade ingredients and marinate paneer in this paste for 1 hour. Mix all ingredients for the batter. Add enough water so as to make a thick paste. Heat ghee in a kadhai. Dip the paneer cubes in the prepared batter and deep fry in hot ghee until golden crisp.
Paneer Pakoras
Small paneer - ½ cup
All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
Rice flour - 2 tablespoons
Green chillies - 4
Cilantro - 1/2 a bunch
Asofoetida 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee for deep frying
Finely chop the green chillies and cilantro. Mix it with all the above ingredients to make a thick, sticky paste. Deep fry in ghee like pakoras.
Quick and Easy Pakoras
1/2 cup cream of wheat (sooji)
2 tblsp yoghurt
2 green chillies chopped finely
1/4 tsp baking powder
2-3 tsp milk to make batter
Vegetables of choice
salt to taste
Mix together all the ingredients for the batter, coat the vegetables, and drop spoonfuls into hot ghee. Fry till light golden in color. Pre-steam vegetables as necessary (cauliflower, potato, carrot, etc.)
Raj Pakore Ki Karhi
Mungdal : ½ cup
Salt : 1½ tsp.
Curd : ½ cup
Red chilly powder : 1 tsp.
Red chilly (sabut and dry) : 2
Dhaniya (coriander) : 1 tsp.
Kari patta (curry leaves) : 3-4
Haldi (turmeric) : 1 pinch
Bicarb Soda : a pinch
Ghee for frying : 2 cup
Mustard seeds (motti) : ½ tsp.
Ghee (for tadka) : 2 tbsp.
Soak the dal for 5-6 hours. Strain it and grind to a grinder. Strain the curd through a strainer. Add 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp. red chilly powder, ½ tsp. dhaniya, 2 tsp. mung dal paste and haldi. Mix well and set aside. Now take the dal and add ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp. red chilly powder, ½ tsp. dhaniya and soda. Mix well. Heat ghee in a kadahi and fry pakories of small size to a golden brown color. Now heat ghee in a kadahi and put the tadka of mustard seeds, hing and kari patta. Add the mixture of curd. Cook it for 10-15 minutes. Add the pakories and cook for 3-4 minutes. Finally put the tadka of red chilly powder. Offer hot.
Rajasthani Kadi
2 cups beaten sour curds
1-1/2 tbsps heaped Bengal gram flour
1 inch piece ginger
1/2 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp cumin
ghee for frying
For Pakoras:
1/4 tsp Bengal gram flour
1 tsp ginger-chilli paste
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp asafoetida
2 sprigs curry leaves
salt to taste
Mix the ingredients for the pakoras in a bowl, adding water little at a time to prepare a thick batter. Make small balls and deep fry in ghee. Set aside. Mix gramflour, salt, turmeric powder, ginger, and chilli paste to the beaten curds. Heat this curd mixture on low flame, stirring and without allowing it to boil. When it thickens add the fried pakoras and continue to cook for a minute or two. Remove from fire and add curry leaves. Heat ghee and splutter the cumin seeds and fenugreek, then the asafoetida, and pour over kadi. Offer hot.
Vegetable Pakora
1-1/3 cup chickpea (besan) flour, sifted
1 tsp. garam masala
2 tsp. ghee
2 tsp. coriander
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne
9 tbs. cold water, as needed
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/3 tsp. baking powder, optional
Combine the flour, melted ghee, lemon juice, spices and salt in a bowl and mix together well. Add 5 tbs. of cold water slowly, beating it until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Slowly add another 3 tbs. water and continue to beat until well mixed. It should resemble the consistency of heavy cream and easily coat a spoon. If it does not, add more water (or besan), till it does. Cover the batter and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to let it settle. Beat again for a couple of minutes to lighten the batter. Stir in the baking powder at this point if you want a cake-like crust.
For pakoras, choose a selection of your favourite vegetables: Cauliflower florets, eggplant cut into 1/4-inch rounds, potatoes or yams cut into 1/8-inch rounds, bell peppers sliced 1/4-inch thick, zucchini cut on the diagonal, 1/4-inch thick asparagus tips. Blanch and dry all vegetables. Heat 3 inches of ghee in a wok or deep skillet till hot. Dip your vegetables in the batter and one by one slip them into the hot oil. Fry until the pakoras are golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels. Offer hot.
