Onion Pakoda

How I loved raising my hand to answer the questions our teacher used to shoot during lectures!!! I always wanted to be the 1st one to raise my hand… And I still love doing the same, just the questions differ :P I still feel the same excitement when the point is “Raise your hand if you love deep-fried food!” :P

I love ’em… Who doesn’t??!!! It’s the other thing that I hardly prefer making them… But on some occassions, it works great! After all, too much control on cravings isn’t good too, what do you say?

Loved getting ‘Raipur Bhajiya’ on my way from work to home! ‘Dalwada’ was always the 2nd preference. Hot ‘n’ crisp deep-fried delicacies, packed in a newspaper, which comes to be too greasy by the time I reach home! Some dirt around the stall, sticks to these bhajiyas during making process… Courtesy, their open kitchens on roadside! But probably… All these elements add up the extra flavors in it ;) Whatever… However… Wherever… I simply love it ;)

And that too when you have a dark, dull, gloomy, rainy weather… Lazy evening gets brighten up with a wonderful aroma of these heavily unhealthy munchies… Cut off calories in some other dish or walk 3-4 kms more or go gym 2 more hours… But never miss to enjoy pakoras/bhajiyas/fritters at the right time ;)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Chopped Onion + 3 sprigs Spring Onions, chopped
3/4 cup Besan
1/2 cup Water
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Fennel Powder
A pinch of baking soda
Salt, to taste
Oil, to deep-fry

STEPS TO FOLLOW:

1. Take all the ingredients together in a big bowl and mix well to make a lump-free batter.
2. Heat oil in a deep vessel. Add 2 tsp of it in batter before you start frying.
3. Take 2 spoons and fill one with batter, drop it carefully in hot oil. Repeat the same technique 5-6 times in batch.
4. Deep-fry until they are golden brown in color and crisp in texture.
5. Take them out on an absorbent paper to drain excess oil.
6. Serve hot with Amchur Chutney!

SJ’s NOTE:

• Adding oil in batter make it absorb less oil while frying. It doesn’t look oily n sticky at the end.
• Similarly, you can use sliced potatoes, ripe bananas, capsicum, ajwain leaves etc. for making pakoras.