Pakkavada

Pakkavada - A tasty deep fried (crispy, crunchy and addictive  too) snack  in Indian cuisine. Best with tea /coffee !!!

Makes: 140 - 150 g

Ingredients

Please use same measuring cup to measure  gram flour and water

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz (Indian standard measuring cup) besan (gram flour/ kadalamaav / chone pittti), sieve  the besan twice

2 tablespoon rice flour (orva pitti / ari podi)

1 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon asafoetida  (hing / kaayam)

½ cup cup water (5 – 7 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds) or black til (optional)

Method

In a wide bowl, mix  sieved besan ,  oil, red chilli powder, turmeric powder.  salt  and hing.  Mix well with fingertips until well combined and it forms like soft bread crumbs. First start with less than ½ cup water (adding water depends upon the texture / quality of the besan. Some brand needs 1/2 cup and some brands need less than half cup) and later adjust with remaining  1 – 2 tablespoon to make a medium soft dough. If it is too hard, it won’t come out from  the mould (difficult to press). Finally adjust with  1- 2 teaspoon water or besan if required.

Put this dough in a murukku / chakali mould. Use pakavada achu / pakoda plate (with 4 slits / 2 slits) to make  pakkavada.

Heat oil in a wide kadai / frying pan and reduce heat to medium and wait for 1 minute. Fry directly in hot oil on a medium heat (between medium and low heat)  until light golden color and crisp on both the sides  in 2 - 3 batches (depending upon the size of the kadai / frying pan). It won't take much time for frying. Please keep a safe distance from  the gas stove / hot oil when frying / pressing with mould. Drain and place on kitchen towel to absorb extra oil and store in an airtight container.  Please use 2 – 3 paper towels to absorb extra oil. Serve with tea / coffee / upma ..