Pakodas with a difference
During my recent trip to the wet market I came across garlic chives. This is very popular ingredient in Manipuri Cuisine. Finding it here was like finding a treasure and I remembered all the preparations using the garlic chives. Needless to say that it was quite a mouth watering moment. I got myself a bundle of the same.
Garlic chives adds a nice garlic like flavour to the dishes, quite mild and very good. Let me tell you what I did with them. I made pakodas using them. Earlier the day I had soaked some urad dal (black gram). So my job was easier. Here’s a step wise guide to making perfect urad dal pakodas using garlic chives.
1. Soak some urad dal in water overnight.
2. Remove the black skin by rinsing it carefully. Thats a trick I can’t explain here.
3. Keep aside around 2 tablespoon of dal.
4. Take some 3-4 garlic cloves. 2-3 green chillies. Some ginger.
5. Chop them and add to the washed dal, which is now white.
6. Add around 2-3 tablespoon besan (Chick peas flour)
7. Add salt to taste, turmeric, red chilli powder.
8. Run through the mixer/grinder to make a coarse paste, add water if required. (generally mine becomes fine so I add the dal that I have kept aside in step 3 to give it a crunchy taste).
9. Take a handful of coriander leaves, take the whole bunch of garlic chives. Chop them finely.
10. Add this to the paste. Don’t forget the cooking soda (only a pinch).
11. Add some water to make a thick batter.
12. Heat a good amount of cooking oil in the deep pan.
13. Drop scoops of batter in the oil gently using a spoon.
14. Deep fry till they are cooked properly.
15. Remove and serve with your choice of sauce.
The above can be done without the garlic chives. But the flavour of garlic chives is awesome.
PS: Garlic chives when added to egg also makes great omellette.
