Read 1,000 Indian Recipes Online
Authors: Neelam Batra
1,000 Indian Recipes (95 page)
A trick for authentic flavor is to add about a quarter cup of mustard oil to the wok while deep-frying. It is for used for all commercial
pakoras
, but home cooks generally use peanut oil.
1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)
1
1
⁄
4
pounds halibut, salmon or sea bass fillets, about 1 inch thick, cut into 1
1
⁄
2
-inch pieces
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 large cloves garlic, finely ground
1
⁄
2
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ground turmeric
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 recipe
Basic Batter for Pakora Fritters
2 tablespoons chickpea or rice flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1
⁄
2
teaspoon coarsely ground ajwain seeds
1
⁄
8
teaspoon ground asafoetida
2 to 3 scallions, green parts only, minced
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 cups oil for deep-frying
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1.
Prepare the chaat masala. Place the fish pieces in a bowl. Add the vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, turmeric, and salt, and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated. Cover and marinate at least 1 and up to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
2.
Prepare the basic batter, then mix in the flour, cumin, ajwain, asafoetida, and scallion greens. Heat the oil as per directions in the box
Frying Fritters (
Pakorae Talna
)
. Dip each fish piece in the batter to coat well and fry as directed in the box. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the chaat masala and cilantro, and serve.
Shrimp Pakora Fritters
Jhinga kae Pakorae
Makes 15 to 20 pieces
For the best taste and presentation, choose the tail-on jumbo shrimp.
1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)
15 to 20 fresh jumbo shrimp (about 1 pound), shelled and deveined, with tails on
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ground turmeric
1
⁄
2
teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1
⁄
2
teaspoon coarsely ground ajwain seeds
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 recipe
Basic Batter for Pakora Fritters
, made with yogurt instead of water
1 teaspoon coarsely ground cumin seeds
1
⁄
4
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 cups oil for deep-frying
1.
Prepare the chaat masala. Place the shrimp in a bowl. Add the lime juice, garlic, turmeric, red pepper flakes, ajwain, and salt, and mix well, making sure all the pieces well-coated. Cover and marinate at least 1 and up to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
2.
Prepare the basic batter, using yogurt instead of water, then mix in the cumin and cilantro. Heat the oil as per directions in the box
Frying Fritters (
Pakorae Talna
)
. Dip each shrimp in the batter to coat well and fry as directed in the box. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the chaat masala, and serve.
Potato Snacks
Mashed Batter-Fried Potato Balls
Aalu Bhonda
Makes 10 to 12 pieces
These legendary delights from the central and southern parts of India are spicy mashed potatoes cloaked in a chickpea flour batter. Offer them with coconut and other southern Indian chutneys, such as
South Indian Cilantro Chutney
.
Bhonda
means ball, and these round
pakora
-type batter-coated balls are typically made with mashed potatoes that are first cooked with traditional southern seasonings of mustard seeds and curry leaves, then shaped into rounds, dipped in batter and fried. They are traditionally made with peeled white potatoes, but here I use red potatoes in their jackets (just scrub them well).
1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)
4 to 5 small red potatoes (about 1 pound), unpeeled but scrubbed well
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon dried yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), sorted
1 tablespoon dried white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted
1 tablespoon minced fresh curry leaves
1
⁄
3
cup finely chopped onion
1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger
1
⁄
4
teaspoon ground asafoetida
1
⁄
2
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems + 3 tablespoons
1
⁄
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 recipe
Basic Batter for Pakora Fritters
2 teaspoons rice flour
1
1
⁄
2
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
1.
Prepare the chaat masala. Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water to cover until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain, let cool, then coarsely mash (do not peel).
2.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the mustard seeds. They should splutter upon contact with the hot oil, so cover the pan until the spluttering subsides. Quickly add the dals and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 minute.
3.
Add the curry leaves and onion and stir until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the green chile peppers, ginger, and asafoetida, stir momentarily, and add the potatoes,
1
⁄
2
cup cilantro, and the salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool. Using clean hands, shape the mixture into 10 to 12 round balls and set aside.
4.
Prepare the basic batter, then mix in the rice flour and the 3 tablespoons cilantro. Dip each potato ball into the batter to coat well.
5.
Fry as per directions in the box
Frying Fritters (
Pakorae Talna
)
. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the chaat masala, and serve.
Thrice-Baked Potato Skins with Petite Peas
Muttar Bharae Baked Aalu
Makes 20 to 24 pieces
This recipe, made with potato skins, is a Western concept with Indian flavors. Serve them as is, or top them with any
yogurt-based chutney
of your choice.
10 to 12 small russet potatoes (about 2 pounds), unpeeled but scrubbed well
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger
1 small clove fresh garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1
⁄
4
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems
1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1
⁄
2
teaspoon ground cumin
1
⁄
8
teaspoon ground turmeric
3
⁄
4
cup frozen petite peas, thawed