Herbed Cornmeal Pakora
MAKKAI PAKORA
-Recipe from Yamuna mataji
With a texture similar to hush puppy or cornmeal muffin batter, these
shallow-fried pakoras are made from stone-ground corn, either white or
yellow.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
½ cup (75 g) stone-ground cornmeal
½ cup (65 g) unbleached white flour,
Chapati or whole wheat pastry flour
1 ¼ teaspoons (6 ml) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2 ml) salt
½ teaspoon (2 ml) sugar
a generous ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) of crushed red chilies
2 teaspoons (10 ml) chopped fresh dill or
1 ½ teaspoons (7 ml) dried dill
½ cup (120 ml) milk
2 table spoons (30 ml) melted ghee or vegetable oil
ghee or vegetable oil for shallow-frying
1.
Blend the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, crushed
red chilies and dill in a mixing bowl. Whisk together the milk and ghee
or oil in a small bowl, then pour into the cornmeal mixture and stir
just until blended.
2. Heat ½ inch (1.5 cm) of
ghee or oil in a large frying pan until it is hot but not smoking.
Scoop up roughly 1 table spoon (15 ml) amounts of the batter and
carefully lower into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides
(3-4 minutes per side), and serve immediately.