Tempura Pakoda

Starting this new year with loads of wishes, warmth and love. A very Happy New Year to all my dear blogger friends. Hope this year brings good health, prosperity and well-being of all.

I have been out of action, AGAIN, for the past 3 weeks. This time it is not any reason related to academics. I was literally kicked out of the kitchen.Thanks to the LONG renovation work that was happening. 3 long weeks surviving on microwave food..Uffff...It was unimaginable. Finally, I managed to get rid of that nasty electric coil range and welcomed my new lovely gas range. Also, the kitchen looks really pretty by abandoning the tiled counter-tops and installed a black granite top. Love my kitchen!!

Today has been a really lazy day. Was on the couch watching TV all day (which is very unusual of me). I never watch TV for more than 2 hours straight. My palates were tickling, my stomach was grunting..I was in no mood at all to have good Indian wholesome meal. I needed some munchy-crunchy kinda stuff. IDEA...I remembered that I got some Tempura batter mix from the grocery store a couple of days back. I felt like trying something with the batter and giving it an Indian Twist. And Voila..It worked..Yummy tempura onion pakoda..Goes perfect with some pudina chutney or a spring roll dip. Let check out how I made it.

(Kindly excuse me this time...I was so engrossed in making the pakodas and eating them that my camera had no role to play until the last pieces were the only ones left out and they were really lucky to be captured).

Ingredients
Tempura Batter Mix - 1 cup
Ice cold water - Approx. 2/3rd cup (May vary)
Salt - To taste
Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Red Onions - 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
Spring onions - 2 sprigs (finely chopped)
Mint leaves - About 10 (Finely chopped)
Cilantro - A handful (Finely chopped)
Green chillies - 2 small - optional (I used Thai) (Finely chopped)
Oil - To fry

Method

• Mix the tempura batter as per the instructions on the box.
• Mix all the chopped veggies and add all the other spices.
• Whisk the veggies and spices well in the batter.
• Heat Canola/vegetable oil in a pan. Using a spoon add the batter into the oil.
• Fry until light golden brown.
• Serve hot with Pudina Chutney and Spring roll dipping sauce.

Notes

• Using greed chillies and/or red pepper flakes is optional. You can use either of them or both. I prefer spicy pakodas. So I used both.
• You can alter the ingredients I used like the choice of veggies. You can be creative and can use the veggies of your choice. But trust me this one is truly awesome...

Mini Sweet Puri's

I was wanting to make Puri's from a long time. But wanted a sweet taste to the Puri's. So I tried making something different and ended up with Mini-Puri's. They are small puffed breads and are coated with a sugar glaze and makes a perfect tea-time snack.

Ingredients:

All purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
Semolina - Fine Sooji - 2 Tbsp
Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
Clarified Butter / Ghee - 2 Tbsp
Water- To make the dough
Oil - For Frying

For the Glaze:

Water - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup

Method:

• In a bowl,sift the flour, powdered sugar and mix well.

• Now add the semolina and mix all together.

• Add the Ghee / Clarified butter and mix well to form a crumbled mix.

• Add water little by little and knead it into a firm dough.

• Now make very small balls out the dough and roll out mini - puri's.
• Make as many as you want and keep it aside.
• In a pan heat some oil.Once the oil is hot, add the mini  puri's one by one.

• Fry then until the sizzle from the oil stops and they are light golden in color.

• Drain out the excess oil by placing them on a paper towel and allow them to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, add 1/4 cup of sugar to make the glaze.

• To the sugar add about 1/2 cup of water and heat it.

• Heat this mixture till the solution thickens to form a string like consistency and take off the flame and allow it to cool.

• Once the puri's and the glaze liquid have cooled, take a pastry brush and glaze the sugar solution on the Puri's.

• You can add roasted and chopped dry nuts or dry fruits on these puri's to give it a rich taste.
• Enjoy the Mini Sweet Puri's.

Notes:

• You can also use a cookie cutter and make different shapes if you want to. It will be a favorite homemade snack for all the kids.