Cashewnut Keerai Pakoda Recipe – Keerai Pakoda – Palak Pakoda Recipe – Savoury Snacks

Little something:::: Any Gharam or dry Pakoda stays crisp for few days. Unless they are vacuum sealed they don’t stay fresh and crisp for many days. This recipe includes whole lot of leafy stuff like spinach and coriander which has the tendency to release water, so this variety stays crisp for a day and becomes soft later. Bread crumbs are added to give little rugged texture, you also substitute with little rava.

Preparation: Wash spinach leaves thoroughly, discard the stems and chopped them finely and place in a colander for 10 minutes to drain excess water. Finely chop the coriander leaves and keep aside. Break the cashews into small pieces and toast them in little ghee until golden and keep aside. Onions need to be chopped or diced for this recipe.

Method:

1. If ghee or vanaspati is cold, just bring them to room temperature.

2. Cream ghee or vanaspati with baking soda until its well blended.

3. Combine gram flour, rice flour, asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder, dry bread crumbs and salt. Add this to the creamed fat and mix to form a crumbly textured flour.

4. To this, add onions, chopped chilies, finely chopped spinach, finely chopped coriander leaves, cumin seeds, crushed ginger and garlic. Mix well to coat the flour mixture on all sides.

5. Try to combine everything to form a soft dough without adding any water. If its too dry then you may add few drops. It should look like a thick mass, but not too sticky.

6. If you wish you can make small ball shaped dough to make it like store bought pakodas or just pinch off directly into the oil. If cashews are added to dough they go invisible, so while pinching the dough, press a few over the top and then fry to make them visible. If you’re not particular just add them along with other stuff (step-4).

7. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai(medium high flame). When its ready, try a sample first. Fry till golden on all sides, cool and wait for 10 minutes. Now taste it to check whether its crunchy enough.

8. Curry leaves are not a part of the dough, it has to be fried separately in the oil and then tossed with the fried pakodas. Just drop them in hot oil, fry and remove. Add them as garnish after frying the pakodas.

9. Now that every thing’s perfect, go ahead and drop little portions in the hot oil and deep fry. Drain excess fat in a paper towel. Cool completely and serve within a day. Good when fresh.

Notes

• Makes about 1 kg approx
•  If oil temperature is too low, the dough would actually sink and if you still keep frying, it would suck too much oil. Will melt and mess your oil. Remedy — No escape, let the oil cool completely, drain the wastage and start again.
• By mistake if you add more water and if the dough looks too soft then you would end up making medhu pakodas. Its OK, but in order to make them crispy, the dough should be just about firm.  Remedy— Add extra rice flour, adjust salt and try again.
•  If you fry them too long expecting them to turn crispy, you will end up having very hard (rock)pakodas.  Please do not keep them too long, when they are evenly browned, the vigorous bubbles will settle and that’s the key to remove.
• You may make them as round shaped as shown above or pinch them like loose pakoda.