Zucchini Pakoras / Fritters
If you have watched the rain slash on the window panes, while you comfortably curled up in a window seat eating your pakoras & sipped hot coffee, then you, like me have been to heaven & back sometime in your life.There is something about cold weather & pakoras that brings out the dreamer in you, that words cannot explain! The wind is howling outside my window,cold weather is a milder term to use for the frigid conditions that prevail, I had made up my mind that come what may, I will make the pakoras today or I will die trying, such was the need of the hour smile emoticon…still the desire to experiment with a new vegetable (instead of the usual onion, potatoes,etc) was strong, so I chose Zucchini, today.
Pakora (Fritter) represents a fried snack, from India, originally derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Pakvavata’ which is ‘Pakva’ for cooked & ‘vata’ for small round cake of pulse fried in ghee and is a favorite among Indians. It’s amazing how winter can bring out the culinary talent in you, without fail….”Necessity the mother of all invention”, they say!
The green chutney of cilantro & mint that goes with a pakoras compliments the flavor even further,so enjoy your crispy brown pakoras on a cold winter evening sipping hot coffee….surely, heaven is not that far as people make it out to be !!
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcal0
minutesIngredients
- For the Pakoras/Fritters:
2 medium 2 size Zucchini ( grated fine with skin)
1 medium 1 size Onion ( finely sliced)
2 2 -3 Green chillies ( finely slit)
A pinch Turmeric powder
1/2 tbsp 1/2 Chili powder
1/2 tsp 1/2 Black Pepper powder
1 tsp 1 Ginger garlic paste
A pinch Hing/Asafetida
Salt- to taste
5 tbsp 5 Besan ( chick pea flour)
3 tbsp 3 Rice powder
1/4 cup 1/4 Water
Oil- for frying
- For the green Chutney:
1 1 bunch Cilantro
15 15 – 20 leaves Mint
1 1 ″ Ginger
1/4 1/4 Onion
1 small 1 Jalapeño Pepper
2 tsp 2 Lime juice
Salt- to taste
Directions
- Mix the grated zucchini, sliced onions, all the spice powders, ginger garlic paste & salt together in a bowl & set aside.
- Now in a separate bowl mix the Besan/chickpea flour, with the rice powder & little water to make a thick paste.
- Mix the thick paste with the grated Zucchini mix, since Zucchini already contains water content , it is important to keep the addition of water at a minimal or the mix will get too runny, (which also means it will absorb more oil when deep frying)
- Heat oil in a thick deep bottomed vessel. Then, gently scoop a spoonful of batter & pour it into the hot oil, allowing it to cook (one could fry 4-5 pakoras at a time depending on the size of the vessel used) When it turns golden brown , flip it over & cook the other side.When it turns crispy gently remove it with a slotted spoon & place it on a kitchen towel , so that excess oil can be absorbed before serving.
- For the chutney:
- Add all the ingredients, except the lime juice) in a blender & make it into a fine paste, now to this add the lime juice & salt & serve it with the hot pakoras.
Notes
- Can’t think of a better way to chase the winter blues than having a piping hot plate of pakoras with green chutney & sipping hot coffee, while the wind howls outside, after all you got to take life, one day at a time grin emoticon