This is a Gujarati (Gujarat is a western province in India) delicacy which I learnt from my sweet neighbours in Surat. During summertime it's really a relief to have this and is best enjoyed with white rice and fried papads.
Ingredients:
For the pakodi: What is a Pakora?
- 150 gms of gram flour (besan)
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- A small onion chopped
- 1/4 tsp of red chilly powder
- 1/2 cup of water
- Oil for frying
For the Kadi (gravy):
- 400 ml of sour curd
- 75 gm of gram flour
- 3/4 tsp of red chilly powder
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
- 6-8 curry leaves
- 2 dry red chillies
- A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)
- 800 ml of water
- 1 Tbsp desi ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 tsp of sugar
- Salt according to your taste
Method:
First we make the pakodi:
- Mix the gram flour and other ingredients that are mentioned above for the pakodi and whisk them together in a mixing bowl to make a thick batter.
- Heat oil in a kadai ( saute pan/wok ) and make small balls of the thick batter that we just made and deep fry them till golden brown. Drain the excess oil using a paper towel/ tissues and keep it aside.
Fritters(pakodi)
Now we make the Kadi (gravy):
- In a deep bottomed vessel, whisk together the curd, gram flour, water, red chilly powder and make it into smooth thin paste and Keep it aside.
- Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a saute pan (kadai with a lot of depth).
- Now add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds to the ghee, when it starts spluttering add the hing and turmeric powder and fry it for 1 minute.
- Now add the whisked curd mixture to the wok and churn it well.
- Add sugar and salt and keep on stirring so that no lumps are formed.
- Cook for around 15 minutes in medium flame.
- When it starts bubbling (up to boiling point) add the pakodi (fritter balls) into the gravy and cook for another 5- 10 minutes and turn off the flame.
~Enjoy~
