Indian Vegetable Fritters: Pakoras

"Pakoras" are fried "clumps" of seasoned batter made of chickpea flour which is filled with a mixture of chopped vegetables, or just individual vegetables like onion, cauliflower or chili peppers (mild or hot). Another word used for them in India is "pakoda," although potatoes fixed this same general way are generally called "bajii" or "bhaji."* Pakoras are often served with tea or spiced tea (masala chai) and some also serve some chutney on the side. Myself, I like some ranch dressing for dipping. To make your own ranch dressing, here is the link:  https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/06/homemade-ranch-dressing.html 

Pakoras are easy to make and I made mine somewhat larger than is likely typical in India (most recipes call for the use of a tablespoon of batter, but I used a serving spoon). Once you are ready to cook, fry the pakoras in batches and do not overcrowd the pan or they will likely soak up the oil and become soggy. The temperature of the oil has to be maintained (350 F, about 180 C), and a small cube of bread should sizzle and brown when dropped into the oil. Remove each batch of fried pakoras with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Also remove any small bits that may have broken off into the oil while frying, or these bits will burn and discolor the oil, as well as imparting their burnt flavor to the oil and to the next batches of pakoras. 

Ingredients (for about 15 to 25 pakoras, depending upon the size):

1  2/3 cups chickpea flour
2/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (according to your heat preference)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped (larger pieces likely won't cook properly)
1/4 cup mild green chili pepper, like banana pepper, chopped
1/4 cup mild red pepper, like red bell pepper, chopped
1 to 2 green hot chili peppers (I use serranos), seeded and finely chopped (again, according to your heat preference)
1/4 cup chopped spinach leaves (no stems)
1/4 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
water (enough to make a thick batter)
oil for frying

In a bowl add the chickpea flour, baking powder, ground red pepper, turmeric, garlic, ginger and salt; mix together well. Now add the chopped vegetables and the coriander/cilantro leaves. Slowly add water and mix to incorporate the water until a thick batter forms. I use my hand to do the mixing. The batter should be a bit thicker than pancake batter. Let the batter sit while the oil heats, then use a table spoon (or the somewhat larger serving spoon) and put the batter into the hot oil. Fry the pakoras in small batches until they are golden brown, which should only take a few minutes for each batch. If you use a smaller amount of oil that won't cover the pakoras, you will need to turn the pakoras to cook them on both sides.

* For such a recipe for potatoes, here is a link. This is based upon heavy Indian influence in Kenya, where the potatoes are called "bhajias" : https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2020/03/kenyan-potato-bites-potato-bhajias.html

WORD HISTORY:
Bungalow-This word for a "low level one story house" is related to "Bangladesh" and to "Bengal," words from the Indian subcontinent borrowed by English. The origin of the word likely goes back to the name of an ancient god from some parts of the Indian subcontinent which formed the basis of the words "Bengal" and "Bengali." Transliterated Hindi, an Indo European language, and one of the main languages of the Indian subcontinent, had "bangla," which meant "a low level house with a thatched roof." This gave Gujarati, an Indo European language now spoken by about 60 million in the Gujarat area of India, the transliterated "bangalo," with the same general meaning. English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1600s from Hindi and Gujarati from British involvement in India and it conveyed the meaning, "low level house of the Bengali style, with a covered terrace."