Brussel Sprouts Fritters (Pakodas)

One of the best fried fritters all over the country and the world is 'Pakodas'- pieces of vegetables dipped in gramflour/rice flour paste with spices and deep fried!  It can be made using any vegetable under the sun! Mainly it's made of potato, cauliflower, eggplant, capsicum, okra etc. But with fusion cuisines everywhere and ideas flowing nonstop in our brains, one has the liberty to think out of the box and come up with their own customized pakodas😀

I had brussel sprouts lying on the counter which I wanted to plainly sauté with garlic and savor with my quinoa. But at the same time, I had a craving to eat bhajji (pakodas). It is so funny how I instantly changed the chopping method from roundels to finely chop my sprouts to make pakodas😀 . Since it tastes almost like tender cabbage(from the cabbage family), thought should give it a try and I am glad I did! It was delicious! Got my kid to enjoy the fritters too👍🏻  so it's definitely a keeper!

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 5 medium size brussel sprouts chopped finely
• 1 med onion chopped
• 1 green chili chopped
• 1 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 1 inch ginger chopped
• 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 3/4 tsp chili pwd
• 4-5 tbsp gram flour (besan)
• salt to taste
• 1 cup oil for frying

kept few roundels to saute :)

Preparation:

• Mix brussel sprouts with onions and all other ingredients. Add water in drops to make a sticky mixture. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
• In a kadai heat oil on high flame, once its hot reduce the flame to med and scoop out spoonfuls of pakoda mixture, drop it carefully in the oil and fry turning it on all sides. 
• Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon once it's brown and cooked from all the sides.
• Place on a paper napkin to drain excess oil. Serve hot with tamarind chutney or cilantro chutney or mint chutney or just plain ketchup:)

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

You may also enjoy Amritsari Gobi Pakodas, Banana Mulik

Health Nutrition: Brussels sprouts can provide you with some special cholesterol-lowering benefits if you will use a steaming method when cooking them. It is very rich in Vitamin K, C, folate, and manganese. Has a very low glycemic index. It has cancer preventive properties. Best had as steamed or sauteed. It is considered as a super food and is recommended to include in a diet on a regular basis.

Amritsari Gobi Pakoda (Cauliflower Fried Fritters)

Picture this- There is a loud thunder sound and rain splashing heavily at your window panes, you sitting calmly enjoying the rhythm of your rocking chair with a steaming hot cuppa tea in one hand, something nice to read in your lap and a plateful of hot sizzling pakodas by your side - what more do you want in life in that particular moment :).
I haven't come across anyone till now who has said NO to pakoda. This Amritsari pakoda recipe is so yummy that you will not be able to stop munching even after you had like 20 something of these. Seriously beware and I am warning you beforehand :) I recently discovered this recipe given by a foodie friend Sushma and have fallen in love with it. You can have it as a snack or enjoy it with rice and dal. A fun food for easy entertainment events too.

Let us check out the recipe, because I know you are already drooling looking at the pics :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cauliflowers cut into small size florets
• 2 small onions chopped
• 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 1/4th tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp cornmeal flour* ( or 1 tbsp rava(semolina))
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 4 tbsp gram flour(besan)
• 4-5 green chillies chopped
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 1/2 tsp chilli pwd
• salt to taste
• Oil to deep fry

Preparation:

• Wash and rinse the cauliflower florets, I usually cook it in a microwave with little water for about 3 minutes, before I set it up for frying. It is totally optional.
• In a mixing bowl add all the other ingredients and mix it nicely. Add water spoon by spoon if needed. It makes a nice sticky mixture. 
• Heat oil in a kadai to a smoking point, then reduce it to medium flame and start frying the pakodas, till it is brown on all sides. Place it on a paper towel to take out excess oil. 
• Serve hot with ketchup, mint chutney or you can enjoy it as it, it is very delicious!

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Recipe adapted from authentic food delights by Sushma Mallya.

Health Benefits:

It's a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin and other vitamins and minerals. Has a good content of choline which is known for its role in brain development. Cauliflower is an important source of dietary fiber for digestive health. It is considered as world's healthiest food. Eating cauliflower is like winning the antioxidant lottery. It's packed with vitamin C, beta-carotene, cinnamic acid, and much more. Antioxidants are nature's way of providing your cells with an adequate defense mechanism against attack by reactive oxygen species.