Chef Ranveer Brar’s Recipe For Perfect Monsoon Pakoras

Bite into deliciousness

June 27, 2017 | by Neil Balthazar

After much teasing, the monsoon has finally arrived, giving us all some respite from the heat. And with the monsoon comes a certain monsoon tradition – no rainy day is complete without some chai and a plate of steaming hot pakoras. We only want the best for you, so we spoke to our favourite celebrity chef, Ranveer Brar. He’s been all over the world cooking up a storm and making a mark on TV audiences across India, but he’s taken some time out to help us all make the perfect (gourmet) eggplant pakoras.

Ingredients

8-10 slices of eggplant, cut to ¼ inch thickness 1 tsp red chilli powder ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp black pepper powder 1 tsp lemon juice Salt as per taste Oil for frying For batter: 1 cup besan (chickpea flour) ½ cup rice flour ½ tsp chilli flakes 1 tbsp, coriander leaves, finely chopped ½ tsp, turmeric powder ¾ tsp ajwain (carom seeds) Salt to taste Water as required Like this article? Also read: #FoodTrend: Eating Local

Process

Combine red chilli powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, some salt and lemon juice. Rub the eggplant slices with prepared mixture and keep aside for 6-8 minutes.
Combine all the ingredients mentioned for batter, adding a little water at a time and prepare a batter of medium consistency such that it coats the back of the spoon.
Heat oil on medium in a deep bottom pan or kadhai. When the oil is hot enough, dip the eggplant slices one by one in the batter and slide them into the hot oil.
Fry them till golden brown and crisp. Remove and drain excess oil on paper towels.
Serve hot with chutney or sauce of your choice.

Like this article? Also read: Your Guide To Staying Waterproof This Monsoon

Tips for Perfect Pakoras

Add a little water at a time and test consistency by checking if it coats the back of a spoon. So, neither too thick, nor too runny.
Add rice or maize flour for crispiness. Adding a spoonful of the hot oil to the batter just before you begin frying is also a good idea.
Heat oil on a medium flame and never on a high flame. Frying on a high flame will over-brown the pakoras and not cook the insides evenly.
Test the oil readiness before frying and, in between batches, drop in a bit of batter or a coriander leaf into the oil to see if it rises to the surface right away.
Test with a small batch first and check for salt, spice and crispiness at the beginning itself.
Do not overcrowd the vessel.
Keep the oil temperature uniform throughout. Always leave a few minutes gap for the oil to regain its temperature before you add in the next round.
Let each side of the pakora fry for a bit and turn golden brown before it turning over. ‘Let the food be’ is a mantra to follow at all times!