Bottle Gourd Leaves & Parsley Leaves Pakora / Fritters

 

           These Pumpkin leaves and parsley leaves can be turned into some amazingly delicious pakoras / fritters. Just pick up some tender bottle gourd leaves and parsley leaves and dish out these yummy pakoras. Relish them as appetizers with some chutney / sauce as an evening tea-time snack or as an accompaniment to dal-rice combo. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare these yummy fritters. 

          Tea time without some fried snacks is just meaningless. One can't resist the temptation of deep fried pakoras. A bowl of hot and crispy pakoras is anytime welcome. So dish out these easy to make yummy pakoras / fritters made of bottle gourd leaves and parsley leaves. 

          These crispy treats are just perfect with your evening cuppa. You can also serve them as appetizers with chutney, sauce, labneh, hummus or cheese spread. They are absolutely easy to prepare as it requires only few basic ingredients. I made them both spicy and tangy. However, it can be adjusted accordingly. 

             

           If it happens to be a rainy day or a cold winter night, then the excitement of having these pakoras reaches to another level. These amazing pakoras are also great as an accompaniment to dal chawal or curd rice. 

          Any leftover pakoras can be made into Kadhi Pakora the next day and enjoyed with hot steamed rice / jeera rice for a great comfort meal. You can also dish out pakora chaat for a light dinner.

• 10-12 Pumpkin Leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup besan (gram flour)
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji)
• pinch of baking soda
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• oil to deep fry / shallow fry

            In a bowl, combine together all the above mentioned ingredients (except oil). Add very little water, only if required and prepare a dough. keep aside for 10 minutes.

            Take a small portion of the dough and give a round and slightly flat shape.

           Heat oil in a pan and drop the prepared pakoras, few at a time and fry on a low flame on all sides till light golden in color. 

            Drain on a tissue paper and serve hot with sauce or chutney as an appetizer, as a tea time snack or as a side dish with rice-dal combo.

In a bowl, mix all the above mentioned ingredients (except oil). 

Add very little water, only if required & prepare a dough. keep aside for 10 minutes.

Take a small portion of the dough & give a round and slightly flat shape.

Heat oil in a pan & drop the pakoras, few at a time, & fry on a low 

flame on all sides till light golden in colour. 

                              Drain on a tissue paper.

                        Serve hot with chutney, sauce or with a cup of tea. 

Poha Vada

 

            These Poha (Beaten rice) Vada are an ideal tea-time snack. They can also be served as appetizers along with tomato ketchup or green chutney. They are very easy to make and very delicious at the same time. 

          For a healthier version I have used Brown Poha and boiled Raw Banana instead of potatoes. Finely chopped mixed veggies too were added to make them more nutritious. The addition of peanuts gives a bit of a crunch to the end product and the roasted chana dal powder, a binding to the vadas. For a vegetarian version, you can skip the egg and use a slurry of besan or simply skip both and shallow fry them. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this party snack.

   

• 1 cup brown poha (beaten rice)
• 2 raw bananas, boiled, peeled & mashed
• 1/2 cup chopped mixed veggies (beans, carrots, capsicums & green peas)
• 2 tbsp. roasted peanuts, coarsely ground
• 2 tbsp. roasted & powdered chana dal (Bengal gram)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. chaat masala
• salt to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• oil to deep fry

          Wash the poha for a few seconds and keep aside for 10 minutes so that it becomes soft. 

           Mix the poha and all the other ingredients (except egg & oil) and knead into a dough. Divide this mix into equal portions. 

           Take each portion and shape into a round flat patty. Do the same with the rest of the mix. Refrigerate for a couple of minutes. 

          Heat oil in a pan / kadai. Dip them one by one in the egg mix and deep fry them on a medium flame, few at a time, till crisp and golden brown.

          Drain on a kitchen towel and serve with tomato ketchup / red chili sauce / green chutney as a comforting snack. 

     Mix the poha & all the other ingredients (except egg & oil) & 

     knead into a dough. 

       Divide into equal portions. Take each portion & shape into a round flat patty. Do the same with the rest of the mix. Refrigerate for a couple of minutes. 

               Heat oil in a pan. Dip them one by one in the egg mix. 

       Deep fry them on a medium flame, few at a time, till crisp

        & golden brown.

                    Drain on a kitchen towel.

        Serve with tomato ketchup / red chili sauce / green chutney.

Rice & Cheese Balls

 

               A great way to brighten up your evening is to have this yummy snack along with your evening tea or coffee. It is very quick and easy to make. A very good use of any leftover rice is made here by dishing out this mouth watering snack. Instead of the usual chutney and sauce, try having them with some hummus or mayo. It simply tastes awesome. 

• 2 cups leftover cooked rice, mashed
• 3-4 med. potatoes, boiled, peeled & grated
• 1/2 cup cheese, grated
• 2 onion, chopped finely
• 2 green chilies, chopped finely
• 1" ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp. besan (chickpea flour)
• pinch of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder (opt)
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. rice flour
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp. yoghurt
• oil to deep fry

           Mix together all the ingredients, except oil and knead into a dough. Make equal sized balls out of it. Refrigerate for a while.
 
           Heat oil and deep fry them few at a time till golden brown in colour. Drain and serve with green chutney or sauce. Alternately, the cheese can be stuffed inside the rice balls.

Kanda Poha Pakora

 

          Have any leftover cooked Kanda Poha and wondering what to do with it? Then dish out these crispy and crunchy pakoras and enjoy as a tea time snack. They can also be served as an appetizer with any chutney of your choice, sauce, mayonnaise or hummus. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this yummy treat.

           Easily available ingredients are needed for this recipe and in no time these amazing pakoras will be gone. It is very easy and quick to prepare and is apt for any in house or kitty party. 

            Moreover, any leftover pakoras can be turned into kadhi pakoras / pakora curry to be relished with steamed rice / chapatti or pakora chaat. So choice is yours. 

• 1 & 1/2 cups leftover cooked Kanda Poha 
• 3 tbsp. chickpea flour (besan)
• 2-3 tbsp. yoghurt or as required
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. chaat masala
• 1 tsp. carom seeds
• 2 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
• 1/4 tsp. pepper powder
• pinch of soda
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• oil to deep fry 

          In a bowl, mix together the leftover kanda poha along with the rest of the ingredients (except oil) into a soft dough. (Adjust the consistency by adding more or less yoghurt).

          Heat oil in a pan / kadai and drop spoonful of the mix. Deep fry on all sides till golden brown in colour. 

          Drain on a tissue paper and serve as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with any chutney, sauce, mayonnaise or hummus.

                              In a bowl, mix together the leftover kanda poha.....

                              and rest of the ingredients (except oil) ......

                              ...... into a soft dough.

                      Heat oil & drop spoonful of the mix. Deep fry on all sides 

                      till golden brown in colour. 

                               Drain on a tissue paper.

 

                   Serve as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with any chutney, 

                   sauce, mayonnaise or hummus.

Batata Vada (Fried Potato Fritters - Mumbai Style)

 

          Batata Vada is a very popular snack all over Maharashtra. It is similar to Aloo Bonda in the South. This recipe calls for boiled and mashed potatoes, coated in chickpea batter and them deep fried. It is generally a street food, at times served in pav (bread) called Vada Pav. It can also be enjoyed as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with green chutney or tomato sauce. Tastes absolutely yummy. 

Stuffing - 

• 4-5 potatoes, boiled & mashed
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• oil to deep fry

Batter-

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. hot oil
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. kalonji (nigella seeds)
• water as required

          To make the batter, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and make a smooth batter with the help of some water. It should be of pouring consistency. Keep aside.

          For the filling, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, except oil. and knead into a dough. Make equal sized balls out of it.

          Heat oil. Dip each ball in the batter and deep fry them few at a time till golden brown on all sides. Drain on a paper tissue and serve with any chutney or sauce.

Thankuni Patar Bora (Centella Leaves Pakora / Fritters - Bong style)

 

          Enjoy these yummy pakoras (fritters) made out of Centella leaves (Thankuni Pata in Bengali). These leaves have some medicinal benefits and are traditionally relished as pakoras, chutney, stir fries, juice or salads. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare these yummy fritters.

 

          This particular herb is not much known, but is popular in the North Eastern regions, especially West Bengal and also in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Vietnam & Thailand. 

          I found these greens in one of the supermarkets here and so decided to prepare some pakoras as a tea-time snack. They can be enjoyed as appetizers too, with kasundi or as a side dish with our daily dal-chawal. 

• 8-10 bunches of Thankuni Pata (Centella Leaves)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup gram flour
• 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. grated ginger
• 1 tsp. grated garlic
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin powder
• oil to deep fry

          Wash the leaves under running water and drain. Chop them finely and keep aside. 

          In a bowl take all the ingredients, except oil and mix them well. Add water, little at a time, and knead into a dough. 

          Heat oil in a pan. Shape round flat balls out of the mix and gently slide in the hot oil.

          Fry them in batches on a low flame on both sides till light golden in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with kasundi or any homemade chutney.

                                     Pick only the leaves.

                                  Chop them finely and keep aside. 

                  Mix all the ingredients, except oil. Add water, little at a time, & knead into

                  a dough. 

                     Heat oil in a pan. Shape round flat balls out of the mix and gently slide in

                     the hot oil.

                       Fry them in batches on a low flame on both sides till light golden in colour.

                                  Drain on a kitchen towel.

                             Serve as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with kasundi or any

                             homemade chutney.