A few days back my father-in-law was telling me how Punjabis greet their guests. This is the best part of coming from another culture. You get the privilege of your in-laws telling you tons of stories of their culture; which for me is super fun. It helps to bond even more. So my father-in-law was telling me that anytime a Punjabi has a guest around, they immediately serve some hot chai and pakoras. And if you don’t the guests would probably get offended. That took me back to my childhood down South where my mom used to serve exactly chai and pakoras when we had any guests; which kept me thinking we’re not so different after all. This recipe is a vague memory I have of watching my mom cook pakoras. I feel so bad at times for I lost my mom forever and I can’t even call her up and ask her for the recipe. But I guess the time I spent with her back then watching her cook has paid off. I achieved exactly the same taste and texture of my mom’s Pakoras. So here’s the recipe for Gobi Pakoras.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Chickpea Flour (Besan)
- ½ tsp. Cumin Seeds
- ¾ cup Water
- Salt to Taste
- 1 tsp. Red Chili Powder
- ¼ tsp. Asafetida
- 15 Cauliflower Florets
- Oil for deep-frying
Method:
- In a mixing Bowl add the Chickpea Flour, cumin Seeds, Salt, Red Chili Powder and Asafetida and mix well.
- Then add the water and mix it into a smooth batter. (Make sure you get rid of all the lumps.
- Add the Cauliflower Florets into the batter, mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat oil for deep-frying.
- Once the oil is heated, Pick the florets one by one along with the batter and drop it into the oil one at a time.
- Fry for 3-4 minutes and serve hot.
The Saffron Chronicles 