Indian Bhajias (Pakoras)

A bhajia is any bite-sized vegetable that has been coated in a delicious gram flour batter and then deep-fried to perfection. Also known as pakoras, these bites are very common street food found all over the Indian subcontinent and in plenty of Indian menus around the world. Though the spices might vary from place to place, the general take on the dish is similar, even if its accompaniments can also vary. Chutneys and raitas are commonly served on the side, and the dish serves as a snack, but you can serve it as a side dish or appetizer. Potatoes, onions, spinach, and paneer are our chosen ingredients to dip in the batter, but anything goes with this batter: you can coat anything from mushrooms to pepper or eggplants. A tasty batter of gram flour, chili powder, asafoetida, turmeric, and thymol seeds is quickly mixed so you can coat your veggies and fry them. The dish takes about 40 minutes and should be eaten right away to enjoy the crispiness of the breading while it's still piping hot.

The ingredients for the recipe are easily found in any Indian market, but you can also buy them online. Gram flour, or besan, is flour made out of split brown chickpeas, or chana dal, and is not to be confused with chickpea flour, which is made out of standard chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. Gram flour needs less liquid to become a batter than chickpea flour, but because they are both made out of chickpeas, though different types, people often use them interchangeably even though they aren't. They both taste a little bitter but the overall flavor is different. For true pakoras, you need gram flour. The other key ingredients are asafoetida, a spice known for its savory and oniony smell and taste, and thymol seeds, known for their herby thyme flavor.