What are Pakoras?
Pakoras are small, salty fried snacks, which are a central part of South Asian cuisine. They usually consist of chopped or crushed vegetables, cheese or poultry covered with batter made of chickpeas and then deep fried. In addition to this basic definition, there are many varieties of Pakora, and some regions of India and other South Asian countries have their own specialties of Pakora. While Pakoras originated in South Asia, they also gained some popularity in parts of the United States and Europe.
The perhaps unifying feature of all pockets is their deep fried coating made of chickpeas, which is usually referred to in South Asian cooking as a gram flour. This type of flour is produced by slow baking, cooling and then fine grinding of chickpeas. For the preparation of the Pakora dough, gram flour is mixed with water and in some cases spices such as cumin and salt. This dough is often mixed for a few minutes, leading to the Thatat coating is light and fluffy.
The filling used in Pakoras varies greatly. Sometimesis used poultry such as chicken, but because vegetarianism is widespread in South Asia, vegetables and cheese are perhaps the most popular fillings. Commonly used vegetables include potatoes, onions, cauliflower, tomatoes and spinach. In many cases, these ingredients are used in combination. In preparation of Pakoras, the selected fillings are finely chopped or crushed and then mixed with spices or chili.
As soon as the filling is ready, it is thrown by a mixture of dough on the flour and then adds deep deep frithes to the spoon. When each tablespoon hits hot oil, its exterior becomes sharp and gold. Depending on the frying time, its inside may remain crunchy or soften slightly.
Some regions of India claim their own Pakora specialties. For example, Rajasthan, State in the northwest of India is known for its spicy Mirchi Bada Pakoras, which consists of deeply fried potato chillies.Residents of Tamil Nadu, on the south coast of the country, enjoy Pakoras full of bananas.
Pakora's popularity stretches far beyond South Asia. Given that South Asian nations have emigrated to countries such as England, Scotland and the United States, they have introduced the west residents to the specialties of their native cuisine, and these crispy snacks are commonly found in the menu in Indian and fusion restaurants abroad. In the UK, Pakoras even sometimes sell in fast food restaurants next to more known attachments such as chips.