1,000 Indian Recipes (93 page)
Read 1,000 Indian Recipes Online
Authors: Neelam Batra
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1
⁄
2
cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
12 to 15 fresh spinach leaves, with stems
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1
1
⁄
2
cups peeled and chopped firm unripe papaya
2
⁄
3
cup rice flour
1
⁄
2
cup chickpea flour
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1
⁄
8
teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1
⁄
4
teaspoon ground asafoetida
1 tablespoon coarsely ground dried curry leaves
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
2 to 3 cups shredded lettuce (any kind)
1.
In a food processor, pulse together the ginger, green chile peppers, onion, cilantro, spinach, and lemon juice until just minced. (Do not purée.) Add the papaya and pulse until coarsely chopped (do not mince). Transfer to a bowl. Add the rice and chickpea flours, salt, and baking soda and mix well to make a thick, almost dough-like mixture. Add some more rice or chickpea flour, if needed.
2.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small nonstick sauce-pan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. They should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan and reduce the heat until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the curry leaves, stir 30 seconds, then mix the spices into the mixture.
3.
Heat the peanut oil as per directions in the box
Frying Fritters (
Pakorae Talna
)
. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and form into rolls or cylinders, each about 1 inch thick and 3 inches long (they don't have to be smooth). Carefully slide them into the hot oil, adding as many as the wok can hold at one time without crowding, and fry, turning and moving them around as needed until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
4.
Transfer with slotted spatula to paper towels to drain. When cool enough to handle, pinch off about 1-inch pieces from each roll and refry in hot oil, drain on paper towels again, then serve on a bed of shredded lettuce.
Rice Flour and Cashew Pakora Fritters
Chaval Atta aur Kaaju kae Pakorae
Makes 15 to 20 pieces
The addition of rice flour brings a welcome lightness, both in taste and texture, to these fragrant cashew nut balls that are often called
bhajias
in the southern and western parts of India.
4 to 6 quarter-size slices of peeled fresh ginger
1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, stemmed
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1
⁄
2
cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
8 to 10 fresh spinach leaves, with stems
1 cup raw cashews
1
⁄
3
cup rice flour
1
⁄
4
cup chickpea flour
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1
⁄
8
teaspoon baking soda
2 to 3 cups shredded lettuce (any kind)
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep frying
1.
In a food processor, process together the ginger, green chile pepper, onion, cilantro, and spinach until minced. Add the cashews and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Remove to a bowl. Mix in the rice and chickpea flours, salt, and baking soda.
2.
Heat the oil per directions in the box
Frying Fritters (
Pakorae Talna
)
. Carefully, using clean fingers or a spoon, drop
3
⁄
4
- to 1-inch balls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry as directed in the box. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Then serve on a platter lined with shredded lettuce.
Variation:
Substitute peanuts or almonds for the cashews, or mix different nuts together.
Cheese and Meat Fritters
Mama's Paneer Cheese Pakora Fritters
Mama kae Paneer Pakorae
Makes 20 pieces
My mother's trick to making really soft, melt-in-your-mouth
paneer
cheese
pakoras
is in making the cheese—she weights it down only until it just sets and some of the whey remains inside. Or, once the
paneer
cheese is made, she whips it up in a food processor to break all the grain and shapes it into a square or rectangle before cutting it into the desired size pieces.
8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)
1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)
1 recipe
1
⁄
4
cup minced fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1
⁄
2
teaspoon coarsely ground ajwain seeds
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
1.
Prepare the paneer cheese, then the chaat masala. Cut the paneer cheese into pieces or place in a food processor and process until it starts to gather into a dough. Transfer it to a cutting board and shape into a large square or rectangle and cut into 20
1
⁄
2
-by-2-inch rectangles.
2.
Prepare the basic fritter batter. To the batter, mix in the cilantro, green chile peppers, and ajwain seeds. Heat the oil as per directions in the box
Frying Fritters (
Pakorae Talna
)
. Dip each paneer cheese rectangle into the batter to coat well and fry as directed in the box. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the chaat masala, and serve.
Crumbled Paneer Cheese Pakora Fritters with Green Chutney
Paneer aur Hari Chutni kae Pakorae
Makes about 30 pieces
These
pakora
fritters can be made with or without the chutney. When making them without the chutney, finely chop and mix in the chutney ingredients.
And if you find yourself out of
paneer
cheese, well-dried firm or extra-firm tofu and fresh mozzarella cheese are good substitutes. Just mix in some more chickpea or rice flour if the mixture seems too soft.
1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)
8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought), coarsely crumbled
1
⁄
2
cup
Basic Green Chutney
1 recipe
Basic Batter for Pakora Fritters
1
⁄
4
cup rice flour, or more as needed
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
1.
Prepare the chaat masala, paneer chese, and the green chutney. In a bowl, toss together the paneer cheese and the chutney and marinate 1 to 2 hours at room temperature.
2.
Prepare the pakora batter, mix in the rice flour, then add the marinated paneer cheese (plus the marinade) and 1 tablespoon of the oil to make a semi-thick mixture.
3.
Heat the oil as per directions in the box
Frying Fritters (
Pakorae Talna
)
. Carefully, with your clean fingers or a spoon, drop 1-inch balls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry as per directions in the box. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the chaat masala, and serve.
Cottage Cheese Pakora Fritters with Red Bell Peppers
Paneer aur Laal Shimla Mirch kae Pakorae
Makes 20 to 25 pieces
With the color and crunch of red bell pepper and the smoothness of cottage cheese that melts lightly as it heats up, these double-fried
pakoras
are easy and satisfying.