Snake Gourd Pakoda

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 Snake Gourd Pakoda :

• Snake gourd – 6 palam
• Powdered salt – 1/8 palam
• Chilli powder – 1/8 palam
• Pure water – 3/16 padi
• Chana dal flour/besan/Bengal gram flour -1/4 padi
• Powdered salt – ¼ palam
• Green chillies – 2 palam
• Coriander leaves – 1 palam
• Lemon – 2

• Cut the edges of tender snake gourd and cut them in circles and set aside in a leaf. Sprinkle powdered salt and red chilli powder on top of the snake gourd.
• Mix Bengal gram flour to 3/16 pure water. Add powdered salt, cut green chillies, and finely cut coriander leaves to the flour. Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into the flour mixture. Take the cut snake gourd, dip it in the flour mixture and fry it in oil or ghee until slightly red and cooked.
• Wheat flour or Urad dal can be used instead of Chana dal flour. Instead of snake gourd, raw banana, brinjal, cucumber, and bottle gourd can be used. Also these bhajjis can also be made without using vegetables. Just plain flour mixture can be fried as bhajjis.

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