Pakoras

Clockwise from bottom left: Green chillies, eggplant slices, baking soda (above dried fenugreek leaves), salt, chickpea flour, potato slices.

Frying!

Methi-Aloo, baingan and chilly pakoras.

Materials:

- besan (chickpea flour)
- haldi (turmeric)
- kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- baingan (large eggplant)
- potatoes
- green chillies (whichever type you want to use)
- salt
- Baking soda
- oil for frying

Preparation:

Cut eggplant and potatoes into thin slices (1/4 inch or 1.2 cm). Keep aside. The potato slices can be saved in a bowl of water as shown in the first image above.

Combine the besan with 1/2 tsp haldi and a pinch of baking soda for every 2 tbsp of the flour. Add salt to taste. Mix well. Then make into a batter by gradually adding water and mixing well. The batter consistency should be such that it pours slowly off a spoon.

Pat the eggplant slices dry with a paper towel/napkin. Dip the eggplant slices in the batter and leave for a few minutes. In the meantime, heat the oil in a karhai (or saucepan or wok). Test for oil temperature by dropping a normal blob of batter... it should fizz and bubble and cook rapidly.

Then carefully add the battered eggplant slices into the oil. It is much safer to use a spoon or ladle to do this - don't drop the slices in by hand! Once one side is done to a golden brown color, flip the slices over. 3-4 minutes per side is enough for this slice thickness.

Make one cut in the chillies (this prevents them from exploding while frying) and immerse in the batter. Fry these for about 2-4 minutes... basically till the batter is golden brown.

Next, add the drained methi to the batter and mix well. Dry the potato slices with a paper towel/napkin. Dip the potato slices in this batter and leave for a few minutes to get a nice coating. Then fry these, again, taking care to place them in the oil using a long-handled ladle or spatula. Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side.

Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Serving:

These are great on their own as a snack, appetizer, in a bun (pakora-pao), accompanying a meal - especially khichdi. Some chaat masala sprinkled on top after cooking adds a bit more of a zing.

Additional tips:

Adding a pinch of red chilly powder to the batter livens it up... but be wary of the spiciness if you use some!