Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
3 medium size onions, finely sliced
1/2 cup gram flour (besan flour)
1/4 cup rice flour
1 teaspoon grated ginger
5-7 curry leaves, chopped, optional
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
A pinch of baking soda (soda-bi-carbonate)
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
Oil, for deep frying
Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Step-1
Take sliced onion in a large bowl.
Step-2
Add gram flour, rice flour, ginger, curry leaves, red chilli powder, baking soda, coriander leaves and salt.
Step-3
Mix well using spoon and keep aside for 10 minutes.
Step-4
Add water little by little (approx. 1/4 cup) and mix all the ingredients such that sliced onion is coated well with flour batter.
Do not add more water unless required – if batter becomes too watery or thin then pakodas will not turn crispy.
Step-5
Heat oil in a deep pan over medium flame. Check whether oil is sufficiently hot or not by dropping a pinch of mixture in hot oil – if it comes upward immediately, then oil is sufficiently hot for deep frying.
Take small portion of mixture in the hand and gently drop 3-4 small fritters into the oil and deep-fry until they turn golden brown in color – keep stirring occasionally in between so that they cook evenly and keep heat/flame to medium.
Step-6
Take them out using slotted spoon and drain excess oil.
Place them on paper towel in a plate to absorb excess oil. Repeat the process for remaining batter and deep-fry in batches.
Do not over crowd the oil with onion fritters, this will help them cook evenly.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS:
If you want to prepare pakoda once and enjoy over 1-2 days then do not add any water in step-4 while preparing batter.
The water released from sliced onion will be sufficient to coat onion with the mixture.
If required, add only 1-2 teaspoons water.
Do not fry them over low flame, it will make them soggy and absorb too much oil.
For variation, add finely chopped potato in step-2 while preparing batter.
TASTE: CRUNCHY AND SPICY
Serving Ideas: Serve them hot as delectable snack with chutney or with a cup of tea or coffee in the evening, according to Foodviva.com.
BBN/SK/AD