Mirchi Pakoda

Mirchi Bhajji in Marathi

Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
8 to 10 long green chilies. (less spicy)
3/4 cup chickpea flour
1 tbsp rice flour
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
pinch of baking soda
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Method:
1) Wash green chilies. Make a lengthwise slit and remove the seeds (Tip). Do not remove the stem.
2) Take a small mixing bowl. Mix chickpea flour, rice flour, turmeric, and salt. Add a little less than 3/4 cup of water. Mix without lumps. Add pinch of soda and make a thick batter.
3) Heat oil over high heat. Turn heat to medium when it reaches to a smoke point. Dip the green chilies and make sure that they are well coated with the batter. Carefully drop them in hot oil. Deep fry until golden.
Serve hot.

Tips:
1) Removing seeds is completely depend on how spicy those chilies are. If chilies are too hot, then remove all the seeds. Also, you may keep a little amount of seeds if you like hot chili pakoda.
2) Do not use very thick chilies. Although, they are less spicy, they remain uncooked and crunchy after deep frying. Hence, use long, medium thick and medium spicy chilies.
3) Green chilies can be stuffed with different stuffing. I had stuffed them spicy mashed potato (usual potato subzi flavored with chili paste, ginger and garlic). Then dipped in batter and deep fried in hot oil.

Baby Corn Pakoda

Baby Corn Pakoda in Marathi

Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:
15 baby Corns
3 tbsp corn flour
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp amchoor powder
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

Method:
1) Take corn flour into a small bowl. add all the spices and salt. Mix well. Add 2 to 3 tbsp water and make medium consistency paste.
2) Wash and pat dry baby corns. Heat oil into a kadai. Turn the heat to medium high.
3) Dip the 3 to 4 baby corns into corn flour paste. Coat well. Leave the baby corns in hot oil. Deep fry till golden brown.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Paneer Finger Pakora

Paneer Pakoda in Marathi

Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Yield: 10 to 12 pieces

Ingredients:
200 Gram paneer, cut into finger sized slices
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp Maida
Salt to taste
1 tsp Red chili powder
Marination
2 tsp green chili sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
Oil for deep frying

Method:
1) Mix chili sauce and soy sauce into a medium bowl. Marinate paneer slices with this mixture for 5 minutes
2) Mix corn flour, maida, salt and red chili powder into a bowl. Dust marinated paneer with this mixture and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Serve with Chili sauce as an appetizer.

Plantain Cutlets

Plantain cutlets in Marathi

Time: Prep Time- 20 minutes (Excludes soaking time for sago) | Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 to 14 medium cutlets

Ingredients:
2 green plantain/raw bananas
1 medium potato boiled and mashed
1/4 cup sago
2 tbsp flour used for fasting
3 Tbsp peanuts roasted and crushed
Crush together - 3 green chilies + ½ tsp cumin seeds +¼ cup coriander leaves chopped finely
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Ghee or Peanuts Oil for deep frying

Method:
1) Wash sago pearls with water. Drain all the water and keep it covered for 4 hours.
2) Once sago is nice and plump, peel and grate the plantain. Mix them both. Now add mashed potato, fasting flour, peanuts powder, chili mixture, lemon juice and salt to taste. Make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into equal sized dumplings and shape them according to your preference.
3) Heat oil or ghee for deep frying. Deep fry cutlets over medium heat till color turns to golden brown.
Serve hot with Sweet lemon pickle or green chutney.

Palak Pakoda

Spinach Pakoda in Marathi

Serves: 10 to 12 Pakodas (For 2 persons)
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cup roughly chopped spinach leaves
1/4 cup onion, julienne
6 to 7 tbsp Besan (chickpea flour)
1 tbsp Rice flour
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
5 to 7 curry leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp Sesame seeds (optional)
1 tsp Kasoori Methi
1/2 tbsp Red chili powder or to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Pinch of baking soda
Salt to taste
2 to 3 tbsp of water
Oil for deep frying

Method:
1) In a mixing bowl add spinach, onion and salt. Mix well and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. This will make onion little mushy and slightly watery.
2) Then Sprinkle besan and rice flour over it. Heat 1 tsp oil till it reaches to its smoking point and pour it over the flour. Wait for 2 minutes and toss gently.
3) Now add other ingredients (ginger garlic paste, kasoori methi, sesame seeds, red chili powder, turmeric powder, baking soda, and little more salt if needed). Mix nicely and add very little water. Make a very thick mixture (dough like consistency).
4) Heat oil for deep frying and put it over medium flame. Drop little pakodas with the help of spoon or just by hand. Deep fry until golden brown and crispy.
Place on the paper towel to remove excess oil.
Serve hot with Tomato ketchup, green chutney or dry garlic chutney.

Tips:
1) You can add fresh methi leaves (Fenugreek) along with spinach.
2) Adding 1 tsp hot oil over dry flour makes the pakodas crispy.
3) Do not fry over high heat or low heat. Frying over high heat makes the pakoda brown quickly but inside it will remain uncooked. Frying over low heat will make the pakodas very oily. Try to maintain the temperature by changing from medium to medium-high.
4) Baking soda makes the pakodas light. However do not add more than a pinch for the above quantity.
5) If you add water more than few spoons, pakodas wont come out crispy.