Khasta Gobhi /Crisp Caulflower Fritters

Crisp cauliflower fritters

Fried snacks and starters are a hot favorite during winters.As cauliflower is very easily available during this seasons so we make many recipes and starters with cauliflower.
My favorite is Aloo gobhi ki subzi and Gobhi matar ka keema  .There are so many fried snacks but I often make this easy,delicious and crispy cauliflower fritters which I make in few variations.
Today I am sharing my favorite version of making gobhi pakora ,to make this blanched cauliflower florets are dipped in gram flour,corn flour and semolina batter and then deep fried to a nice golden colour.These Gobhi pakoras are good to serve a crowd or on any special occasion,can be served with tomato ketchup or any tangy and spicy dip.

Prep time-10 min
Cooking time-8-10 min
Difficulty level-easy
Cuisine-Indian
Type-snack,starter
Serve-4

INGREDIENTS-

• Cauliflower /gobhi  - 250 gms
• Gram flour /besan - 3/4 cup
• Corn flour - 3/4 cup
• Semolina /sooji - 1/4 cup
• Red chili powder - 1tsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Cooking oil- to deep fry

PROCEDURE-

1. Make medium size florets from cauliflower.
2. Boil 2 glasses of water add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder.
3. When it start boiling add cauliflower florets and cook for 1 minute.
4. Drain and let it cool down completely.
5. In a bowl add gram flour,corn flour,turmeric powder, semolina, salt, chili powder and cumin powder.
6. Add water in the mixture and whisk well.
7. Make a medium thick batter and rest for 10 minutes.
8. Dip the cauliflower florets in the batter and deep fry in hot oil on medium heat.
9. Fry till golden in colour.
10. Drain on a paper napkin and serve hot.

Serving suggestions-serve with tomato ketchup or any spicy dip

How to Make Batata Vada , Mumbai Batata Vada Recipe

Spiced potato dumpling coated with gram flour batter and fried-very popular street food of Mumbai

Batata vada is the most popular street food of Maharashtra,It is a very popular snack of Mumbai. As it is very reasonable priced and a quite filling snack so is is also a brunch or lunch of many Mumbaikars.
Boiled potatoes are roughly mashed and then few fresh herbs and spices are added in the potato mash ,then a flavorful tempering is added in it and then shaped in round balls .Then these spicy potato dumplings are dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried to a nice golden colour and then served hot with spicy green chutney and a fried green chili.Its quite easy and quick recipe.You can easily adjust the spices according to your taste.
There are few variation of making this vada but the main ingredients and spices remains the same.

Prep time-10 min
Cooking time - 15 min
Difficulty level - medium
Spice level - medium hot
Cuisine - Indian,Maharashtra
Type - snack,street food

Batata Vada

INGREDIENTS-

• 250 gm - Potato,boiled
• 1 tbsp - Green chili,minced
• 1 tsp - Ginger,chopped
• 1/2 cup - Fresh coriander,chopped
• To taste - Salt/namak
• 1/3 tsp - Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp - Citric acid/tatri *
• 1 tsp - Mustard seeds /rai
• 1/4 tsp -white lentil /urad daal
• 1/4 tsp - Asafoetida /hing
• 8 -  Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp - Cooking oil

Batter-

• 1 cup - Gram flour /besan
• 2 tbsp - Rice flour/chawal ka atta
• 1/4 tsp - Turmeric/haldi
• 1 tsp - Chili powder
• 1 tbsp - Hot oil
• To taste  - Salt
• Pinch of  - Soda-bi-carb (optional)

Cooking Directions-

1. Peel and coarsely mash the boiled potatoes(don't make a paste of potatoes )
2. Heat oil in a pan and add urad daal and mustard seeds.
3. When seed start crackling add asafoetida,curry leaves and green chilies.
4. Stir and then add turmeric powder and boiled potatoes.
5. Add salt and citric acid and stir to mix every thing.
6. Remove from the flame and add chopped fresh coriander.
7. Mix it and let it cool down a bit.
8. Now make small balls from this potato mixture and keep aside.
9. In a bowl add gram flour, rice flour, salt,chili powder and turmeric.
10. Add water to make a batter of pouring consistency.
11. Add hot oil and mix well.
12. Heat oil in a deep and wide pan.
13. Dip the prepared potato balls in the gram flour batter.
14. Gently add in the hot oil and deep fry on medium heat.
15. Change the sides 2-3 times in between so get a nice colour from all the sides.
16. Remove from the pan when become golden and crisp.
17. Drain on a paper napkin to absorb the extra oil.
18. Slit or poke hole in few green chilies and deep fry them.
19. Drain on a paper napkin and sprinkle some chat masala or salt over them.
20. Serve hot vadas with green chutney,ketchup and fried green chilies.

NOTE-

1-To add sourness in the vada you can add either citric acid or lemon juice.

2-Don't mash the potato completely,just mash roughly,don't make a paste of potatoes.
3-You can reduce the quantity of minced green chilies and add some red chili powder in the potato mixture.
4-for variation -you can also add some boiled peas at step -3

Moong Sprout Kachori

Crisp home made pastry shells stuffed with mildly spiced bean sprout filling

Kachoris are very popular breakfast and snack from North India.They are flaky and crisp shells made with refined flour, stuffed with either savory or sweet stuffing but savory version is the most popular version of kachoris.

They are often made on festivals,on every special occasion or can be made any day when ever you want to have some thing crisp and spicy. Kachories are easily available in all restaurants ,chat corners and on road side stalls.They are served with chutney, kadi or allo ki subzi depending on each city and region. In Rajasthan kachoris are served with kadi and in Uttar pradesh kachoris are served with sweet and sour kaddu ki subzi. and thin potato curry

They are usually made with refined flour/maida but can also be made with wheat flour or a mix of wheat flour and refined flour or even with multigrain flour. Stir fried spicy lentil or vegetable mixture is made to stuff inside the kachori and then the stuffed kachoris are deep fried on medium heat till golden and crisp.

There are so many variations and versions of making kachoris .If you love making kachoris then do check these kachori recipe from my blog -The popular  Urad daal ki khasta kachori  ,  Aloo ki kachori,  Corn kachori , Moong daal ki khasta kachori  and tangy and spicy Kachori chaat

Prep time-25 min
Cooking time -15 min
Difficulty level -medium
Spice level -medium
Cuisine-North Indian
Type-snack

INGREDIENTS-

For outer layer/puff

• Refined flour /maida- 2 cup
• Semolina /sooji - 3 tbsp
• Cooking oil- 4 tbsp
• Lemon juice- 1/4 tsp
• Salt /namak - to taste

For the stuffing-

• Bean sprouts /ankurit moong - 3 cup
• Potato /aloo, boiled - 1(medium)
• Mint leaves /pudina, chopped - 2 tbsp
• Fresh coriander,chopped- 2 tbsp
• Green chili /hari mirch, chopped - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric /haldi - 1/3 tsp
• Ginger /adrak, grated - 1tsp
• Mango powder/amchoor - 1.5 tsp
• Chili powder/lal mirch - 1.5 tsp
• Coriander powder /dhaniya - 1.5 tsp
• Garm masala - 1/4 tsp
• Salt /namak -to taste
• Cooking oil /tel - 2.5 tbsp
• Cumin /jeera - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida /hing - 1/4 tsp

PROCEDURE-

For the outer covering

1. Mix and sift flour,sooji and salt in a bowl
2. Add oil and lemon juice and rub to mix well
3. Add water and make a soft dough.
4. Cover and keep aside for 20 minute

For the filling-

1. Wash bean sprouts very well with normal water.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan.
3. Add cumin,chopped green chili and asafoetida
4. When cumin start crackling add bean sprouts and saute for a minute
5. Now add turmric and salt and 1 tsp of water
6. Cover and cook on low flame till it get cooked but remain crunchy,don't over cook them.
7. Now add mashed potato and all the spices .
8. Stir fry for a minute.
9. Take out in a bowl and let it cool down completely.
10. Now add chopped mint and coriander and mix .

Making the kachori-

1. Knead the prepared dough to make it soft and pliable.
2. Make small size balls of equal size from the dough and keep aside.
3. Cover the balls with a damp cloth .
4. Take a ball and flatten it a little with the rolling pin.
5. Put about 1.5 tbsp of filling in the center.
6. Bring together all the sides and collect in the middle .
7. Close it and press it slightly,make sure it will seal properly.
8. Press the kachori with your palm to flatten it slightly.
9. Heat enough oil in a deep pan.
10. When it become medium hot then gently slide few kachoris in hot oil.
11. Now lower the temperature to medium.
12. The kachori will puff up then turn the side.
13. Fry it till it become golden from both the sides.
14. Drain the fried kachori on a paper napkin.
15. Serve hot .

Serving suggestions-Serve with green chutney and date and tamarind chutney.