Recipes for Movie Night: Pakora for Slumdog

Easily Prepared East Indian Street Food Celebrates the Oscar Winner

© Larry Ervin

Feb 19, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscars, four Golden Globes and seven Baftas, including best picture and best director in all three. For a detailed review of the movie, see Slumdog Millionaire’s Artful Dodge.

The movie’s setting of Mumbai makes Indian snack food an easy choice for an Oscar-themed party.

Pakoras are commonly sold by street vendors in many parts of India and Pakistan, wrapped in a newspaper cone. A typical pakora consists of a slice of potato or onions, coated with a mildly spiced chickpea batter and deep fried. Other vegetables or even fish or meats are also made into pakoras (see “variations,” below).

Patak, among others, makes a just-add-water pakora batter mix. They also make a spice mix, “pakora murgh” that you can add to chickpea flour, or you can easily make your own pakoras with the following recipe.

Chickpea flour is also sold as Besan or Bengal gram or garbanzo bean flour. The ingredients are available in the ethnic food section of a well stocked supermarket or an Indian specialty grocer.

Unlike other fritters, pakoras will hold and can even be re-heated for later serving. Serve them with a choice of dipping sauces.

Onion Pakora (Vengaya Pakora)

Yield: 8 Servings

You Will Need: Large pan or deep fryer

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups chickpea flour
• 1 tsp each: salt, ground cumin and ground coriander
• Pinch cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
• ½ to ¾ cup water
• 3 onions, finely chopped

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, blend the dry ingredients with enough water to make a thick batter. Beat in a blender or food processor for 4-5 minutes to incorporate air and make the batter fluffier.
2. Let the batter rest for half an hour in a warm place.
3. Preheat oil for deep frying to 375°.
4. Fold the onions into the batter until evenly distributed.
5. Carefully drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil. Fry in batches until golden brown. Do not crowd. Drain on paper towels or similar.
6. Serve hot (or let them cool, freeze in air-tight bags and re-heat in the oven for later serving) with one or more dipping sauces (recipes below).

Variations:

Vegetables for Pakora: eggplant sliced into thin rounds; par-cooked potatoes, sliced into thin rounds; cauliflower or broccoli broken into florets and blanched; peppers sliced into rings; okra sliced into rounds; chopped tomatoes, onions sliced into rings instead of chopped.

Mixed Vegetable Pakora: Instead of just onions, substitute about 3 cups of a mixture any: potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, onions and zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds or small florets.

Palak Pakora: mix 2-3 cups of chopped spinach or cabbage into the pakora batter.

Murgh Pakora: marinate cubed, boneless, skinless chicken breast in tandoori marinade for about 30 minutes. Drain excess marinade, dip the chicken in the batter and fry.

Paneer Pakora: dip cubed paneer cheese into the pakora batter.

Ketchup Dipping Sauce

Pakoras are often served simply with ketchup! . –or- This simple sauce comes from a restaurant: Blend together 1 cup each: good tomato ketchup and water, 1Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp each: salt, sugar, mint sauce. Yield: about 2 cups.

Mint Dipping Sauce (Podina Chatni)

In a food processor or blender, process the following ingredients until smooth. Yield: About 1 cup

• 3 bunches fresh mint, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1-3 chile peppers, seeded and chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh gingerroot, minced
• 2-3 Tbsp each: fresh lemon juice and water
• 1½ tsp each: sugar and salt

Cilantro Chutney (Dhanya Chatni)

In a food processor or blender, process the following ingredients until smooth. Yield: About 1 cup

• 1 bunch cilantro (fresh coriander), stems and all, chopped finely
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 hot chile peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp Garam masala (optional)
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice

If something more than appetizers is called for, try Muligitawney Stew with either Chicken or Lamb.

Look here for over thirty taste-tempting appetizer / starter ideas, including:

• Cucumber Salmon Canapés
• Quick Tuna Tapenade
• Hot & Cheesy Artichoke Dip
• Deviled Eggs: A Dozen Different ways
• Baked Brie with Shallots and Toasted Hazelnuts
• Camembert en Boite (Baked it its own Box)
• Pates: Brandied Chicken LiverRustic Chicken Liver Pâté with Pistachios

• The Perfect Cheese Plate: Irish
• Mushrooms Stuffed with Smoked Salmon or Sturgeon

Oscar Statue

Onion and Potato Pakoras

Chickpea (Besan or Gram) Flour

Print Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds