Palak Pakora

Palak pakora is a delicious tea time snack. The taste of deep fried Indian spinach fritters becomes more yummy when eaten with green chutney. Palak ke pakode can easily be served as a party snack.

Ingredients:

• 20 - 25 spinach leaves (palak)
• 100 gms gram flour(besan)
• 2 tblsp Rice Flour
• 2 green chilies (minced)
• 1 tsp minced garlic (optional)
• 1 pinch Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp carom seed (ajwain)
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 cup water
• Salt to tatse
• Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Wash the palak leaves. Drain the water and then cut the stems. Separate each leave and let them dry. Choose the spinach bunch which has broad and big leaves.
2. In a bowl, add besan, red chili powder, garlic, green chilies, rice flour, baking soda, carom seeds and salt. Adding little by little slowly make a batter of this mixture. The batter should be thick enough to coat the leaves evenly.
3. Keep the mixture aside for 2 - 3 mins and then again beat it for 30 secs. This will make the pakoras very crisp.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan. When hot enough take each leaf, coat it with the batter and then slowly drop it in the frying pan. You can fry 2 -3 pakodas at a time depending upon the size. Fry them on medium flame otherwise they will get burnt.

NOTE: 

• To check if the oil is hot, put a small drop of batter if it comes up immediately the oil is hot enough.
• Do not throw the pakoras in the hot oil or else you will burn your skin.
• Fry till the pakoras become crisp and golden brown on both sides. It will take 3-5 minutes if you fry on medium flame.
• Strain them and keep the fried palak pakoras on paper towels.
• Serve hot with green chutney or ketchup .
• Variation: If you want you can chop the spinach finely and mix it in the batter and then with the help of wet fingers drop small balls of it in the oil and fry them. This variation of palak ke pakode is also very popular.