Besan Bhajji ( Pakodas)

Bhajjis , Bondas & Pakodas are popular snacks made using green gram flour or chickpea flour or bengal gram flour. These are popular across India, with each region contributing its own variant of these delicious snacks. They are a spicy snack or entree dish similar to a fritter and is popular in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal and Odisha. They can be found for sale in street-side stalls, and on highways across India in Punjabi dhabas. Outside the states of Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, such preparations are often known as pakora.

Bhajis are a component of traditional Gujarati Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu cuisine served on special occasions and at festivals. They are generally served with a cup of coffee, tea, or a traditional serving of yameen. They use banana peppers for making mirchi bhajji. Its variations include the chili bajji, potato bajji and the bread bajji. Another version is called bonda (in south India), vada (in Maharashtra) and Gota (in gujarat). Bonda has potato or mixed vegetable filling while Gota is made with green fenugreek leaves.

The most popular bajji is the onion bhajis which are often eaten as a starter in Indian restaurants before the main course, along with poppadoms and other Indian snacks. They may be served with a side of salad and slice of lemon, or with mango chutney, and are traditionally made to a mild taste.

Basic ingredients of bajji / bonda / pakoda are gram flour’s of either chickpea (besan), green gram or bengal gram, rice or wheat flour, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and asafetida.

The ingredients are combined into a batter adding water. Oil/ghee is required for deep frying. A variety of vegetables such as gourds, raw banana, potato, onions, brinjal, spinach, etc. are dipped into this batter and deep fried to make an array of delectable delicacies. They are served with slices of lemon, coconut/mint/coriander chutney, sweet/sour chutney or even yoghurt.

Following ingredients are required for making Besan Bhajji ( Pakodas) :

• Chana dal flour/Bengal gram flour – ¼ padi
• Salt – ½ palam
• Cumin seeds – ¼ palam
• Pepper – ¼ palam
• Ghee – 1 and ½ palam
• Red chilli powder – ¼ palam
• Coriander leaves – ¼ palam

• Take a vessel and add either milk, sour curds or water to Bengal gram flour. Add only one of the three ingredients and mix it until it is smooth. Crush salt, cumin seeds, pepper and add ghee to the batter. Dissolve asafoetida 4 small pinch in water and add to the batter.
• Mix red chilli powder along with finely cut fresh coriander leaves to the paste. Add eithe r milk, sour curds or water again to loosen the paste. Knead well. Take a gooseberry sized amount from the kneaded flour and fry it in ghee or oil little by little. Remove when golden brown.
• Instead of Chana dal flour, Wheat flour or Urad dal flour can be added.
• Tender raw banana, snake gourd, bottle gourd and brinjal can be cut in round shape, smeared with salt and chilli powder, dipped in the flour paste and fried in oil until cooked.

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