Phool Gobhi Ke Pakode (Cauliflower Fritters)

This perfect evening snack is easy to prepare. Cauliflower florets are dipped in spiced Gram Flour batter and deep fried.

Ingredients:

• 1 small phool gobhi (Cauliflower)
• 1 cup besan (Gram Flour)
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ tsp green chili paste
• 1 tsp amchoor powder
• ½ cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp ENO
• Salt to taste
• Cooking oil for deep frying

Method:

• Remove florets of cauliflower and keep in a bowl. Sprinkle ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp amchoor powder and little salt over florets. Mix well.
• In another bowl take besan (gram flour), red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, green chili paste, amchoor powder, cumin seeds and salt. Mix little water and make a thick paste (batter). Besan paste (batter) should be thick enough to wrap the gobhi florets completely. If besan paste is thin, besan will not stay on the florets and pakoras will not become crispy. Keep the batter aside for 15 minutes.
• Heat the oil for deep frying in a kadhai or wok on a medium flame.
• When the oil is ready for frying, dip one cauliflower floret in the gram flour batter and coat well on all sides. Put it into the oil and fry till golden all over turning occasionally.
• Remove and drain on paper towel. Fry remaining batter coated florets in the same way.
• Now press each gobhi pakoda with potato masher slightly so that it becomes little flat. Do not bother about the outer gram flour coating which will burst open at few places.
• Add these pressed pakodas again in hot oil and fry till golden brown and crispy.
• Remove and drain on paper towel.
• Sprinkle Chat masala on Pakodas and serve with chutney of your choice.

Do You Know?

Cauliflower may turn yellow in alkaline water. For whiter cauliflower, add a tablespoon of milk or lemon juice to the water. Do not cook cauliflower in aluminum or iron pot. The chemical compounds in cauliflower will react with the aluminum and turn the vegetable yellow. While in an iron pot, it will turn a brown or blue-green color.