“Sometimes it's soft as a misty rain that gently touches my soul. It cools the fire that burns in me and I simply lose control”

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

So just
Rain down on me
Let your love just fall like rain
Just rain on me

It was raining so heavily this past Friday that through my wet and cold walk home from work, I grew nostalgic of my younger days in Mysore and started craving onion pakoras and chai. MMMM I grew up in the gorgeous city of Mysore in Karnataka (India). Our monsoon season was long and warm, it was the verge of winter and power would constantly go out (this isn’t unusual in most Indian cities) We would light candles and spend out evening outside on the verandah (front yard) playing with neighbors kids and quality time with the family playing cards or just talking until it was dark. My mom would make hot pakoras or Bhajiyas and chai or my dad and bapama and I would sneak some tea into my system and chow down on the pakoras. At that blissful moment I wouldn’t be bothered by the mosquitoes, the power being out, the heat or even the fact that my mom was cautioning me from the dangers of being addicted to tea or coffee (which clearly fell on deaf ears considering I am very much a coffeholic and enjoy my hot tea every so often)
I managed to get home before Bhatji and decided to take on making some onion pakoras and tea. Bhatji does not drink tea but sometimes I can coax him into a small cup (I know I’m awful to tempt him but I love company when I am treating myself to tea) The pakoras came out excellent, if I do say so myself. And Bhatji was surprised to come home to the hot treat. Let’s just say that we filled ourselves with so much that we couldn’t fathom the thought of dinner till late. So here I would love to share the recipe for the onion pakoras/bhajiya as per my mom:

Ingredients:
1 large onion
3/4 cup besan (chick pea flour)
3 tbsp sooji flour (optional but this makes it extra crispy)
4 green chilies
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp chili powder
Salt to taste
½ -1 cup of water
Oil for deep-frying

To make:
Cut the onion into long thin slices. Mix salt into the onions while you make the paste. Make a paste of the green chilies. Mix the besan, sooji, green chili paste, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin seeds, chili powder with some water, making sure the consistency a thick enough batter and not too watery. You may add more or less water Add the onions to this batter and mix well, making sure all the onion slices are slathered with the batter. Heat the oil and scoop the onion batter with your hand or a table spoon and deep fry in the oil. Fry until the batter is browned and the pakoras are crispy. Lay the parkoras on a plate with a paper towel so it can absorb any additional oil. Serve with ketchup or sweet and spicy chilly sauce along with the hot chai and you will be transferred back to the mother land.





Until the next hot recipe, anticipate and celebrate the upcoming spring!