Herbed Cornmeal Pakora

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

 

Ingredients

• Stone-ground cornmeal – ½ cup (75 g) 

• Unbleached white flour, Chapati or whole wheat pastry flour – ½ cup (65 g) 

• Baking powder – 1 ¼ teaspoons (6 ml) 

• Salt – ½ teaspoon (2 ml) 

• Sugar – ½ teaspoon (2 ml) 

• A generous crushed red chilies –  ¼ teaspoon (1 ml)

• Chopped fresh dill or 1 ½ teaspoons (7 ml) dried dill – 2 teaspoons (10 ml) 

• Milk – ½ cup (120 ml) 

• Melted ghee or vegetable oil – 2 table spoons (30 ml) 

• Ghee or vegetable oil for shallow-frying
 

Preparation

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.

 

Serves
4
 

By Yamuna Devi Dasi