In any Parsi household you can find a cauldron of dhansak boiling, marinated fish resting before they’re fried or even cutlets and kebabs waiting to be devoured. Parsis tend to be extremely loyal to the food they eat. That means they don’t step out on Parsi food and cook little else at home. In most houses you will find only Parsi food being cooked or other dishes that have been ‘parsi- modified’ as I like to call it.
This particular Parsi is a complete fraud. The least favourite cuisine in our house is your staple Parsi food and it’s rarely cooked. While everyone thinks Dhansak is our Sunday meal or is cooked every second day, our Sunday meals are usually some sort of curry ( chicken/ fish/ beef/ mutton/ crab/ prawn/ egg – never veggies ) and I can’t remember the last time we cooked Dhansak. ( however if you parcel it and send it over it shall be polished off within minutes.)
While I try and potter around and see what I like to cook I usually tend to whip up pasta dishes or an oriental stir fry. I don’t know if it was a craving for greasy fatty comfort food or if the torrential rains the last few weeks make me crave it but I tried my hand at making good old fashion onion and potato pakodas!
I promise this is not something you will find in my house on a regular basis. It consumes way too much oil than we are use to and we hardly eat potatoes, but this time I just couldn’t resist. Not only did I make them I also decided to make a simple green chutney from scratch using my darling friend Manasi’s recipe
It’s easy enough once you get the hang of it and a really fun snack. For the pros that cook every day and feed the family and kids I’m sure this is beyond boring as you already know how to but for dodos in the kitchen like myself, this recipe and more importantly my notes after should help you whip up this snack. Happy cooking !!
Ingredients –
4 medium onions
4 medium potatoes
1 cup gram flour ( Besan )
Salt
Chilli Powder
Water
Oil to fry
For The Chutney –
1 cup of fresh coriander
1/2 cup of fresh grated coconut
2 green chillies ( slice vertically )
Pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
Put all the above ingredients in the mixer and grind into a fine paste for the chutney.
Method –
Finely slice the onion and the potato so you get thin strips of onions and flat thin discs of potatoes. The thicker or fatter you cut them the more difficult to cook them.
Mix the besan in a bowl with a little water so that it becomes a slightly thick batter. Not too much water so that it becomes watery because if that happens it won’t coat the onion and potatoes.In the same batter mix some salt and chilli powder.
Mix the potatoes in the batter as well as the onions. ( make sure you separate the onions after you slice them, don’t take a thick piece)
Heat the oil in a pan and once it’s nice and hot drop the coated potatoes and onions and deep fry till they are golden brown and ready.
Drain the excess oil and serve with the chutney. If you like you could sprinkle some chaat masala on top of them as well.
Notes –
The recipe I followed said one cup of besan but because I cut more onions and wasn’t sure about my batter consistency and had to thicken it I needed more so make sure you have enough if you’re experimenting.
Make sure the batter isn’t too thin. Mine was and I had to keep adding besan to make sure it would cover the potatoes.
If the oil is hot it will fry better and faster. If it’s not the batter tends to break up.
A lot of people add rice flour to the mixture as well as some chili or coriander. You could I just don’t think it alters the taste that much.
Though you’ve added salt to the batter if you like you could salt the onions before you mix them into the batter for taste as well.
It took me a while to get the hang of my batter consistency and not to burn the onions but I guess it’s trial and error. Good luck !
In our home too, dhansak is once in a blue moon
Likewise, bhajias aren’t either going to be made soon
But, “Not bad”, for a first attempt
The pictures they mightily tempt
And yes, the batter can be a bugbane or a boon!
Hey thanks for the tips and the little notes.. I think i’ll try this at home today 😀
give me pakodas any day ( make it evening, morning, and night actually)
I loveeee pakodas and the rainy season makes me want them even more 😀 😀
PS : They look delicious !