Monday, 25 June 2012

Bhajias




Also known as Pakoras, these are the perfect snack for a cold, rainy day! Make up a batch and serve them with sweet-sour tamarind chutney. Use any vegetable you like.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Vegetable of your choice - potato, cauliflower, spinach leaves, onion, paneer for example
  • 1 cup bengal gram four
  • Water to make batter
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
  • Pinch of asafetida
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp thymol seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • Vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil to deep fry

Preparation:

  • Mix the gram flour and all the spices with a little water at a time, to make a thick batter (slightly thicker than pancake batter). Add salt to taste.
  • If using cauliflower cut it into bite-sized pieces. For potatoes and onions slice thin; for spinach leaves trim the stems and keep only leaves; for paneer cut into 1" cubes.
  • Pre-heat oil and reduce flame to medium. This will allow the bhajias to cook well both on the outside and inside.
  • Coat the vegetables well with batter and then deep fry till golden.
  • Drain on paper towels and serve with tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup.