This weeks recipe is from Mukunda Charan Prabhu (http://mukundacharan.wordpress.com/) who says that he first learnt how to make pakoras for the Sunday Feast at the Hare Krishna Temple in Cape Town.
This little experience in pakora making got me recruited to make pakoras at the Grahamstown Festival in 1998. My experience was consolidated in Cape Town in December 1999 at the ‘Govinda’s Restaurant ’during the World Parliament of Religions. The organizers asked the Hare Krishna’s to run the main restaurant since our food is compatible with the religious specifications of most religions. I was frying pakoras for 14 hours a day. By the second or third day I started to dream about the oil slowly starting to bubble in the wok! The following recipe is my version of Kurma’s pakora recipe from ‘Great Vegetarian Dishes’.
I have included a quick Creamy Cashew Chutney Taken from “The Best Of Lord Krishna’s Cuisine” by Yamuna Devi which is a great accompaniment for a variety of savouries.
Batter (for about 40 pakoras)
3 cups chickpea flour
1 tbsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kalonji seeds
1 tsp hing
1 tbsp chilli powder
Mix dry ingredients. Then add 2 cups of water to the mix. Stir with an egg-beater.
Take brinjal slices, butternut slices, potato slices, cauliflower flowerets, spinach leaves, jalapenos etc., dip in batter, and add to boiling oil. Remove from oil when reddish-golden colour. Test to see if the pakoras are soft enough with a knife. If the batter is cooking, but the pakoras are too hard, reduce the heat of the oil. If the batter is too runny, add chickpea flour. If the batter is too thick, add water. If the pakoras aren’t crispy enough, add a pinch of baking powder.
Creamy Cashew Chutney
This creamy chutney from Kerala, made from raw cashews, is versatile, wholesome and irresistible. It not only serves as a perfect accompaniment savouries, but extends itself to accommodate a bowl of crunchy vegetable crudités or, thinned down, becomes an elegant salad dressing.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 10 minutes
Makes: about 1 1/4 cups (300ml)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) raw cashew, bits or halves
- ¼ teaspoon (1ml) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) salt
- ½-inch (1.5ml) piece of peeled ginger root, sliced
- 1-2 hot chillies, seeded and chopped
- Up to 1/3 cup water (80ml) water
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) chopped fresh coriander
Method
Combine the cashews, lemon juice, salt, ginger and chillies with ¼ cup (60ml) of the water in a food processor and process until smooth, adding more water as necessary to produce a loose puree. Transfer to a bowl, add the fresh coriander, and serve, or cover well and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Note: this chutney thickens as it sits. Thin it with water for the desired consistency.