PAKoda – Onion Fritters , Pakode

 

I am lucky that though i live in a city with pollution & population, my house faces a forest making it feel like a hill station,the breeze is so pure and so cool…

And the weather here from past few weeks has been heavenly. It is raining every single day making. Sitting at home sipping hot coffee and eating something hot is all that one can think of doing. Onion Pakoda is the easiest and simplest thing to make in such weather. These crisp onion fritters takes just few minutes to whip up and you will be left with all the time in the world to enjoy the weather along with your family.Ingredients
1/2 cup – Besan /gram flour
1 tbsp – Rice flour
4 nos – Onions, Big sized, julienned
1/2 tbsp – Red chilly powder
1 tsp – Haldi
1/4 cup – Chopped coriander
3 nos – Green chillies (optional)
10/12 nos – Curry leaves (optional)
1 tbsp- boiling hot oil
Salt to taste
1/4th cup water
A pinch of Baking soda
12 to 14 – Cashews, broken into 1/4 pieces
Oil to fry 

Method

To start making Onion Pakoda, heat oil on a medium flame for deep frying.
Take all the above dry ingredients (except water and oil) in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp hot oil to this and mix ( do not add water till this stage ). When you add the oil the besan will bubble up. This is my mum’s secret to making crisp crisp pakoda. Now add the water and mix. Add only enough water to bind everything. Do not make it very watery. Check for salt and chilly powder at this stage. Once fried the spiciness reduces, so keep it a little bit more than what you like.
Take a spoonful of the besan mixture and drop it carefully into the hot oil. Do not reduce the flame to low. Keep it atleast at medium. Drop four to five pakodas depending on the size of the wok. Fry till golden and crisp. Drain it on a paper towel and serve it hot..

PS: Tip for light and crisp pakodas

.Do not press the batter before dropping it into the oil. Very lightly pick up the batter. It makes lighter and crispier pakodas.

.The batter should have less of besan and more of onion. Besan should be just enough to coat the onions.

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