We are deep into fall in our household. The fireplace is always on. Pumpkin has been given due respect. And I’m kind of craving this flavor called ‘chatpata’. Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week! It’s this hot and sour, tangy, subtly sweet flavor that is prevalent in South Asian snacks. It’s especially celebrated during Ramadan, when a typical ‘iftar’ is incomplete without fruit chaat, chana chaat, or pakoras sprinkled with chaat masala. I’m not sure why our taste buds need that chaat shock after resting all day, but it’s tradition so I’d like to keep some semblance of it.
Pan-Fried Pakora (A healthier take)
My ancestors and I seem to be in agreement over most foodstuff. Parathas, turmeric, jaggery…I find it all brimming with wisdom and innovation. But deep-frying – that’s a different story. My understanding of health and (maybe more importantly) my fear of flying hot oil preclude me from deep-frying much. At first, I tried baking these pakoras, but they didn’t have the same flavor and distinct crisp of regular pakoras. I found pan-frying with minimal oil to be the happy medium between baking and deep-frying. (A great baked appetizer is my recipe for Chicken Puff Pastry.) This recipe is super adaptable. I’ve included some optional add-ins, but you can make it to suit your taste. Feel free to add thinly sliced cabbage, roughly chopped spinach, cauliflower, or other vegetables as well.
Simple Green Chutney
1/2 cup cilantro leaves 1/2 cup mint leaves (or sub more cilantro) 1/2 small Serrano or other green chili pepper to taste black salt (or sub regular salt) to taste 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tbsp plain yogurt optional
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