Shamsher's Special Pakora

I always wanted to name something after me, never thought that it would actually be pakoras.

To be honest I am not a big pakora fan but its been raining continuously in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma since my arrival and its also Ramadan.So,  its very hard to ignore Pakoras these days.

Some people make very crispy pakoras with thin batter, I like them a bit thicker and bigger in size because I'm a big boy and big boys like big things. If that made any sense.

This recipe is dedicated to Amani Durrani because she gave the REMINDER about pakoras and I'm glad I was able to make them.

Confession - It's the first time I have made them without the presence of my mom and she makes the best pakoras I have ever had. Not saying this because she is my mom but because she actually makes the best pakoras.

You need:

500 grams besan

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon red chili pepper powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon crushed red chili peppers

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves

2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves

250 grams of minced chicken

1 medium chopped onion

3-4 chopped spring onions

2 potatoes thinly sliced or any cut in any desired thin shape

100 grams of atta (optional)

Now you can improvise and add shredded cheese or anything but I did not because I'm watching calories. Yeah I am being that lame.

Add the salt, red chili pepper, crushed red chili, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, cumin powder in the besan and mix.

Now some people add water and make the batter right away but I did not. I add the vegetables and then add the water.

The key to make the perfect batter is to add less water and mix the batter with CLEAN hands for a better mix. Start with less water and if required more then add more water slowly so you can stop when your desired consistency is reached.

So I just added the vegetables and then started adding water to make the batter according to my consistency. For 500 grams of besan I will suggest not more than 1 or 1.5 cups of water. I cannot find the batter pictures but after mixing the vegetables in besan I added water and made the batter. After the batter was made I added minces chicken and mixed that as well.

Now its time to fry.

Heat oil on medium high in a non stick pan. Let it heat for 4-5 minutes and then with a help of a table spoon start adding the batter to your desired size for frying.

Always fry pakoras till the are light or medium brown. Never go for dark brown as they are already at burning point at that time.

Do yourself and favor by making this chattni. In 250 grams of yogurt blend, quarter bunch of coriander and half bunch of mint leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 green chilies and a tomato to make Chattni Supreme.

Ladies and gentle ladies I give you Shamsher's Special Pakora. Nothing too extra ordinary but you will love it. This recipe is specially for the women who seek kitchen guidance and can't get good rishta because of lack of cooking skillz (intended humor and sarcasm).