Spicy Green Split Pea Pakora Fritters Recipes

PAKORA (INDIAN VEGETABLE FRITTERS)

Steps:

• Make batter: Place chickpea flour in a bowl with the spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, chilli). Slow whisk in the water.
• Mix in Vegetables: Add potato, cauliflower, onion, ginger, chilli and coriander. Mix well with a wooden spoon. It should be a thick batter, almost paste-like.
• Preheat oven to 80°C/175°F - to keep cooked pakoras warm. Set a rack over a tray.
• Heat oil: Heat 4cm / 1.5" oil in a large heavy based pot to 180°C/350°F (Note 6).
• Form patties: Drop 2 tbsp of batter roughly formed into a patty shape into the oil. I use my hands (as is typical in India!) but you can also use 2 tablespoons (be careful of splash-age). Don't crowd the pot, it will lower the temperature too much.
• Fry pakoras: Fry 2 - 3 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels. Keep cooked pakoras hot in the oven on a rack set over a tray.
• Serve: Serve pakoras with Coriander Mint Sauce or Minted Yogurt Sauce!

INDIAN-STYLE SPLIT PEA FRITTERS

Steps:

• For at least 3 hours, soak the split peas in water to cover. Drain but leave them wet. Place oil, to a depth of at least 3 inches, in a wok or large, deep saucepan. Turn heat to medium-high. Let it heat while you prepare fritters; it should reach a temperature of 365 to 375 degrees.
• Place the drained peas in the container of a food processor with chili, ginger, garlic, onion, cilantro, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, salt and pepper. Process until mixture is a coarse purée - not perfectly smooth, but with no whole peas remaining. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if necessary to help the machine with its work. The mixture should be fairly loose; add a little water if it is quite thick, or a tablespoon or two of flour if it is soupy. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Drop the mixture by the heaping tablespoon into the oil; do not crowd. Cook until lightly browned and crisp, turning if necessary; total cooking time will be about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or at room temperature, with lime wedges.

SPICY GREEN SPLIT PEA PAKORA FRITTERS

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the chaat masala. Soak the split peas in water to cover by 2 inches, about 4 hours, then drain.2. In a food processor, pulse together the ginger, green chili and bell peppers, onion, potato, carrots, greens, and half the split peas until just minced. (Do not over-process into a purée.) Remove to a bowl, mix in the remaining split peas, all the spices, baking soda, and salt. Then add the chickpea flour and mix well to make a semi-thick mixture. If the mixture seems too soft add more chickpea flour, and if it seems too dry add some water, and mix again.3. Heat the oil as per directions in INFORMATION AND SPECIAL TECHNIQUES: __Frying Fritters (Pakorae Talna). Carefully, using clean fingers or a spoon, drop 1-inch balls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry as directed in the box. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the chaat masala, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.