A Hint of Spice

               Pakora are small fritters made by dipping various ingredients in spicy chickpea batter(besan batter) and deep frying them.Pakora are widely eaten throughout India and parts of Southeast Asia, where they are a very popular snack and street food, and they are a common offering in Indian restaurants outside of the Asian subcontinent. Pakora are also very easy to make at home, for cooks who want to put a quick Indian appetizer together.

There can be many types of Pakoras Eggplant,Onions,Potatoes,Cauliflower,Corn,Lentils(Daals),Chillies,Chicken,Egg,Spinach and Finally Paneer Pakoda.(Paneer is bland Indian cottage cheese.).Once deep fried, the pakora are eaten hot, and they can be eaten straight or dipped in a variety of dipping sauces, from creamy cucumber raita to spicy mint and cilantro sauce.These Pakoras are a treat on a rainy,cold day and so easy and quick to make.

INGREDIENTS
7 oz Paneer
1 cup Gram flour(Besan)
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Roasted cumin powder(Jeera Powder)
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
Coriander leaves, chopped
Salt
Vegetable oil(For Deep Frying)

DIRECTIONS
1.Put the oil fro deep frying in a Pan.
2.Mix Gram Flour,Red Chilli Powder,Roasted Cumin Powder,Garam Masala Powder,Chopped Coriander Leaves and Salt.
3.Add water in samll quantities to the above mix to make a thick and smooth batter.
4.Cut paneer into medium size thick square shape pieces.
5.Dip the Paneer pieces in batter and let it coat the Paneer & then Deep fry the Paneer Pieces(few pieces at a time) on medium heat till golden brown.
6.Drain the fried pieces on a plate covered with Paper towel.
7.Enjoy them hot with Coriander Chutney,Mint Chutney or Tomato Ketchup.Don't forget a hot cup of Tea.
'njoy!!!!

Tips
1.You can also use Extra firm Tofu ,instead of Paneer.Just remember to drain the tofu in the whey it is stored and pat it dry using Paper Towel.
2.To check if the oil is ready for frying, put a drop of batter in it. The batter should come up, but not change color right away.

3.Make sure the temperature of oil is suitable for frying. If it's too hot the crispiness is lost and if it's not hot enough then the pakoras will be very greasy.