Mixed Veg Pakoda
For my second Diwali recipe, I am sharing how to make mixed vegetable pakoda, also known as bhajji in certain parts of India and bhajiya in Gujarat! Pakoda are crispy fritters made with a chickpea batter, usually found at street vendors!
The first few times I went to India (circa 2005), we used to go on these really long road trips. By long, I mean from Gujarat to New Delhi and back. It was like a week or two week long trip, and we would stop at different cities like Jaipur, Agra and Haridwar along the way. While we drove, we used to stop at these local restaurants on the side of the highway. Every single of one these roadside places would hav different types of pakoda on the menu: onion, okra, cauliflower, spinach, paneer…literally any vegetable.
I chose some of the common veggies you can find at the grocery store: cauliflower, onions, potatoes, and jalapeños. The chickpea batter is really simple to make: just mix chickpea flour, turmeric, chili powder, ajwain seeds, salt, baking soda, and water together. Be careful while frying, oil splashes everywhere.
I used my trusty Staub Cast Iron Dutch Oven to fry these pakoda. Using a deeper pot will help avoid oil splatters.
Mixed Veg Pakoda
Ingredients
- 3 jalapeños sliced into 4 pieces
- 1/4 cauliflower head cut into small florets
- 1/4 onion 1/2 inch rings
- 1 medium potato thinly sliced
Batter
- 2 cup chickpea flour
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ajwain seeds crushed
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Heat up oil in a large pot for frying.
- Mix the chickpea flour, spices, and water in a large bowl until it comes together. The batter should be runny.
- When ready to fry, mix in baking soda and oil into the batter.
- Drop the veggies one by one into the batter, and let some of it drip off in the bowl. Carefully drop the veggies into the oil.
- Fry the veggies, until they look golden brown.
- Enjoy with your favorite chutney!
Happy Diwali! Check out last year’s Diwali Recipes: Masala Chai Muffins, Samosa Puffs, Aloo Chaat, Palak Paneer, and Gajar Halva 🙂