Pakoda -  a crunchy snack                                                              

Ingredients

 

1/2 kg - gram flour (chick pea flour/besan)
2 tbsp - rice flour

1 tsp  - chilli powder

3 - large onions

2  - green chilies

1/2 tsp  - soda bicarb
1/2 tsp - asofoetida
1/2 - tsp salt

Few - curry and coriander leaves

Oil for frying

Method

• Mix gram flour, rice flour, salt, soda bicarb chilli powder, cut green chillies, curry and coriander leaves.
• Add the sliced onions and mix well.
• Sprinkle little water to make a rough coating on the onions. 
• Heat oil in a frying pan and take a tsp of hot oil and mix with the dough. This stops the pokoda from absorbing oil while frying.
• Drop small quantity of the dough and fry till golden brown and crispy.

                                  

This was a favourite snack when I was pregnant. I was addicted to the particular one from a nearby shop and ate it whenever possible. Two days after the due date when I had no indication of labour our family friend  tried to get me some pakoda form that shop. It is a superstition that the baby will not be born until the mom satisfies her cravings. The sweet and savory shop made pakodas only on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I wanted it badly. For some queer reasons they did not make it that whole week.

Next week she went to the shop explained my condition and said that my delivering a baby depended on their pakoda and forced them to prepare it. I was admitted to the hospital after binge eating and soon my son was born by a C-section. He is not very fond of pakoda though. So here is my first post dedicated to our family friend.