Onion Pakora Recipe

[sankum]

Indian cooking is meant for spicy food. Appetizers are no exception. Onion Pakora is one famous appetizer that is served in most of the hotels (mostly Indian). Its very delicious....you can give it a try and let me know.

Ingredients:


2 tsp Ghee


1 pinch of Baking soda


1 cup of Bengal gram flour (besan)


1/2 cup of Rice flour


2 or 3 finely chopped onions (lengthwise)


2 Green chilies -- finely chopped


1 tsp Chili powder


few cashew nuts/Ground nuts


1 cup of Cilantro (coriander) finely chopped


2 strands of Curry leaves


Salt -- to taste


Water -- as required


Oil -- for deep-frying


Method:

Place 2 tsp. ghee and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Rub together until frothy. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well, using sufficient water to make a thick batter. Leave it to rest for 15 mts.


Heat oil in a heavy frying pan. Make small balls from the batter and drop them into the oil . Fry the pakoras until golden in color. When cooked, drain the excess oil on a sheet of brown paper or paper towels. Serve hot with chutney.


This dish goes well with Mint chutney. You can also eat them without any side dish.

[jglass]

Oh my gosh I would love to try that.
No way I could find the ingredients here though.

[sankum]

You can find all the ingredients in any grocery shop. No need of Indian shops.

[KYHeirloomer]

Maybe any grocery shop where you live, Sankum. But in most of the country, several of those ingredients would be considered exotic at best.

In Lexington, the nearest large town to me, there are at least three Indian markets. Yet it's a struggle for me to get curry leaves. They're just not available in most of the U.S. Others on your list are only available in specialty markets, if they're available. And that, too, is questionable in most of the country.

Kind of reminds me of Emeril always saying things like, "you can get in any market." Yeah, if that market happens to be in New York.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

This recipe sound wonderful, but what is Ghee? I have never heard of it, is it a leavening ingredient?

And KYH is SOOOOOO right I'd maybe have to drive down to Atlanta a good hour away to possibly find an Indian market to purchase some of these ingredients.

CCCathy

[jglass]

They got a perplexed look on their face at the grocery store today when I asked if they had won ton wrappers. You should have seen their face when I asked about dried tomatoes a few weeks ago. I had to explain to them what they were.
Yeah I love the way they always say on the Food Network this or that is available at your local grocer. Not at mine its not lol.
I looked in this town and a bigger one 15 miles away for smoked paprika. I thought for sure the Super Wal Mart would have it. No such luck.

[KYHeirloomer]

Cathy, ghee is merely clarified butter. It's the basic animal fat in Indian and some other Asian cuisines, because it keeps two days longer than forever in the heat.

Jglass, you're either going to have to go to Ashland (or, more likely, Huntington), or come to Lexington to find any of those things. Other than Mexican, Walmart---even the superstores---doesn't have much of an ethinic or exotic selection.

You'd be surprised what some of the cities have in the way of specialty markets. But you have to really search them out, ask a lot of questions, and explore ethnic neighborhoods. I've been doing that in Lexington the past several years, and am always being surprised at discovering a new place that's been there a dozen years.

Alternatively, almost everything you can imagine is available on-line. Many of the newer ethnic cookbooks have on-line sources listed. You can spend a few hours at, say, Borders or Barnes & Nobel, making notes. Then go to it. Don't even have to buy the books.

[Mama Mangia]

HOW TO CLARIFY BUTTER


It's the milk solids in butter that cause it to brown and burn. Remove them and you've got clear, golden oil.

To clarify butter, melt it in a small saucepan over very low heat. Let stand, off the heat, until the white milk solids sink to the bottom of the melted butter.

Carefully pour off the liquid butter and strain through damp cheesecloth.

Store in refrigerator in a covered jar.



Usli Ghee

In a large frying pan, melt 1 pound unsalted butter over very low heat; this should take about 15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium. White foam will begin to form on the surface and the butter will start to crackle.

This indicates that the moisture is beginning to leave the milk solids. Cook for 10 minutes without stirring.

When the moisture is completely gone, the crackling will stop and the foam will subside.

Using a wooden spatula, stir the liquid constantly until the butter solids begin to brown. Immediately turn off the heat and let the brown residue settle to the bottom.

When the melted butter is cool, pour the clear liquid into a jar through a double layer of cheesecloth.

One pound of unsalted butter will yield 1 1/2 cups of usli ghee. Ghee will keep in a well-sealed jar for about 2 months at room temperature and 5 months in the refrigerator.

[sankum]

You are awesome MamaM. Ghee can be prepared the way you have mentioned. You can get them in stores too. However, as you all mentioned it depends on the place you live. I cant imagine how i would live in a place where i dont get indian groceries....thank god i get them here in chicago

[jglass]

Cathy, ghee is merely clarified butter. It's the basic animal fat in Indian and some other Asian cuisines, because it keeps two days longer than forever in the heat.

Jglass, you're either going to have to go to Ashland (or, more likely, Huntington), or come to Lexington to find any of those things. Other than Mexican, Walmart---even the superstores---doesn't have much of an ethinic or exotic selection.

You'd be surprised what some of the cities have in the way of specialty markets. But you have to really search them out, ask a lot of questions, and explore ethnic neighborhoods. I've been doing that in Lexington the past several years, and am always being surprised at discovering a new place that's been there a dozen years.

Alternatively, almost everything you can imagine is available on-line. Many of the newer ethnic cookbooks have on-line sources listed. You can spend a few hours at, say, Borders or Barnes & Nobel, making notes. Then go to it. Don't even have to buy the books.

Online would be my best bet.
I went to both Wal Marts in Ashland and both Krogers and never found much at either. You would be suprised at what you can find at the Big Lots in Ashland lol. They have gotten some tastey spices in with their buy out specials. I Hate driving in Huntington with a passion.