MEDHU PAKODA

Crisp onion pakodas with nutty pieces of cashews can be really addictive. A great anytime snack which is also easy to make with ingredients always available at home.

It tastes almost like 'medhu pakoda' - a mouth-watering snack available in Tamilnadu. Actually as kids when we were in Pondicherry, we used to be addicted to this snack. No it wasn't made at home. Our Man Friday would at regular intervals be sent to get four packets for us at tea time - my father wouldn't come anywhere near it - he wouldn't eat anything with a trace of onion - he wouldn't take a second bite of the potato fry if the potatoes had been sitting in the same basket as the onions! We didn't know where they were bought from but never bothered to find out as we were ardent fans of the item and didn't want to give up on them for any reason. They were soft-n-crisp and would melt in our mouth. They had cashew pieces too in them. We had tried to get the recipe but in vain. We knew there was a hint of 'pottukkadalai' powder. During one of my Chennai visits, I could get big 'medhu pakoda' from one of the famous eateries. I tried to analyze its taste to decipher the recipe. And here is the recipe for the same. And it tastes pretty much the same. Yay!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1. Besan - 1 cup
2. Rice flour - 1/2 cup
3. Futana dal (chutney dal) powder - 1 tbsp
4. Onion - 1 medium sized - chopped
5. Green chilli - 2 -chopped
6. Ginger - 3/4 " - chopped fine
7. Coriander leaves - finely chopped - 2 tbsp
8. Mint leaves (optional)- 10 - finely chopped
9. Curry leaves - 10 - finely chopped
10. Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
11. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
12. Asafetida - a pinch
13. Salt to taste
14. Cashewnut pieces - 2 tbsps
15. Melted ghee - 1 tbsp
16. Oil for frying

Method 

1. Mix all the ingredients from 1 to 14.
2. Add melted ghee and mix well.
3. Sprinkle water little by little and mix to get a thick dough.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai.
5. Take a ball of dough in your hand and drop pieces (the size of big marbles) in the hot oil.
6. Fry on medium flame till both sides are light brown and crisp.
7. Serve hot with tomato ketchup / your favorite chutney.