What is it about favorite childhood foods? Somehow they live deep inside our minds and hearts. Foods we learn to eat as adults don't have the same kind of emotional hold on us, don't provide the same comfort. Perhaps this is because they are associated with that simpler time in our lives, those memories of being loved and protected and taken care of unconditionally, of diving headlong into life without worrying about consequences.
My mother used to make this snack on rainy monsoon afternoons in Kolkata, when the weather was just chilly enough to cuddle up under a quilt with my favorite book. She served it with mint-coriander chutney, and hot tea on the side. I've continued the tradition (adding spinach, which I love). I pass it on to you, my holiday gift.
Pakoras
1 cup besan flour (lentil flour--buy from an Indian grocery. You may substitute whole wheat flour, but the taste isn't the same)
1/2 c water
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 t finely chopped ginger
1/2 t red chili powder (more or less, depending on how spicy you want it)
1/4 t each: coriander and cumin powder
1/4 t ajwain, crushed (optional; get from Indian store. Ajwain is a digestive spice)
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, or 1 c chopped spinach leaves, fresh
salt to taste
Mix the besan and water to make a thick paste (similar to pancake batter--you might need to add a bit more water or besan). Add in all other ingredients.Mix well.
In a pan, heat vegetable or canola oil, enough to deep fry. (I know, I know, not the healthiest. But hey. We all have to live it up once in a while. Plus you'll be getting some spinach.) Drop the mix by spoonfuls into the hot oil. Turn over when one side is done. Remove when golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels & serve hot.
Chutney:
1 bunch cilantro or coriander leaf
a few sprigs mint leaf
a few T water
To taste: salt, green chilies (serrano or jalapeno), sugar, lime juice
Blend in food processor until it's a smooth paste, a little thinner than a dip.
Serve on the side with pakoras
If you're short on time, ketchup works almost as well as the chutney. (Sorry, Mom!)
My mother used to make this snack on rainy monsoon afternoons in Kolkata, when the weather was just chilly enough to cuddle up under a quilt with my favorite book. She served it with mint-coriander chutney, and hot tea on the side. I've continued the tradition (adding spinach, which I love). I pass it on to you, my holiday gift.
Pakoras
1 cup besan flour (lentil flour--buy from an Indian grocery. You may substitute whole wheat flour, but the taste isn't the same)
1/2 c water
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 t finely chopped ginger
1/2 t red chili powder (more or less, depending on how spicy you want it)
1/4 t each: coriander and cumin powder
1/4 t ajwain, crushed (optional; get from Indian store. Ajwain is a digestive spice)
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, or 1 c chopped spinach leaves, fresh
salt to taste
Mix the besan and water to make a thick paste (similar to pancake batter--you might need to add a bit more water or besan). Add in all other ingredients.Mix well.
In a pan, heat vegetable or canola oil, enough to deep fry. (I know, I know, not the healthiest. But hey. We all have to live it up once in a while. Plus you'll be getting some spinach.) Drop the mix by spoonfuls into the hot oil. Turn over when one side is done. Remove when golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels & serve hot.
Chutney:
1 bunch cilantro or coriander leaf
a few sprigs mint leaf
a few T water
To taste: salt, green chilies (serrano or jalapeno), sugar, lime juice
Blend in food processor until it's a smooth paste, a little thinner than a dip.
Serve on the side with pakoras
If you're short on time, ketchup works almost as well as the chutney. (Sorry, Mom!)
Thanks for sharing this. Yum! I may not get it together to make these pakoras but I enjoy reading your narrative and recipe (armchair cook). I enjoyed your last book very much. Thank you and congratulations. Looking forward to your next book.
Hi Chitra,
My friend and fellow book club member Jayshree recently wrote to you about the Palace of Illusions, which was our December selection and we were thrilled to hear back from you. I've posted up some points from our discussion at the url above. We had a really stimulating discussion about the book, and all of us loved the book. Thanks!
Hi!
I have only read one of your books, you used to live in California right?
Or do you still live there.
I think you know my aunt Hemla... so when I saw you book I got excited...
:)
Dear Chitra
I have read all of your books and I have been eagerly awaiting the next book "One Amazing Thing". The book seems to have been released but it is not yet available in India. Is It possible for you to tell me when will the book be released in the country.
Thanks
Thank you for this lovely recipe. Pakoras are one of my favorite Indian snacks. :) I also would like to add I have recently discovered your books and I love your writing style mainly because each character seems so "real" By the end of each story, i feel I've known its characters for so long, as if they were friends of mine.
Dear Chitra,
sorry for bothering you on a silly matter...the fact is that I'd like to talk about you to my pupils (I'm an Italian teacher of English in a secondary school), but I'm not sure to pronounce your name correctly (I also searched the net and found a lot about you but nothing on this matter). Could you help me on that?
Thank you a lot and keep creating !
Fabiola
Hello!
I'm a freshman in university and my professor showed us your story "Mrs. Dutta Writes a Letter" and I was immediately moved by it. It made me understand my grandmother in a new way. I borrowed a book of your short stories and consumed the whole thing in a day. I love reading and discovering your work is like finding a new place I never knew existed. I rarely read female writers, although I do love Sylvia Plath, reading some of your interviews about who inspired you leads me to many more amazing women writers. As an immigrant myself, your writing really changed how I viewed myself since I was a little bitter before. I just wanted to say thanks for being so strong and inspirational. I think you write beautifully!
P.S. My favorite male author of all time is Jack Kerouac and his book "On the Road" made me love reading. Have you read it?
A good book they say is as stimulating as a cup of black coffee, and just as hard to sleep there after. Over the past 6 months, my quest for this 'black cofee',Indian style, has led me to sample the fare of Adiga & Bhagat. While Adiga is good(though not my flavor), the less said about Bhagat, the better.So, when someone tossed me a copy of "Arranged Marriage" today, I tossed it right back. She sat me down and asked me to read the first story - Bats. "It takes just 10 minutes !" she implored. I obliged.
It has been 30 minutes since, and thanks to google, I'm commenting here.Thank you, I loved the first story I read and it has not happened in a while now. I'll be sure to let you know if the other stories make me feel otherwise :-) .
I'm sure you are flooded with praise and this may not mean much. But for a short story parched soul, this was a welcome refuge and meant a lot..
Regards,
Madhu