The monsoon that follows summer in India is one of the most enjoyable seasons of the year. It is experienced in India from July to September and is a relief after a significant period of heat waves and sweltering summers. Since it's not too hot during this time, a person also has the liberty to enjoy different types of snacks without thinking about problems related to indigestion.
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One of the most famous snacks that is enjoyed during monsoon are fritters or pakoras. These are a very famous street side snack in India and also famously made in a lot of Indian households. However, these are not really healthy as they're made by deep frying vegetables after coating them in a chickpea batter.
However, one can make their pakoras healthier and crispier by following these tips and tricks.
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* Rice Flour
Generally, people like to make pakoras at home by making a batter from chickpea flour, water, and spices. Even though all of these ingredients are great for coating vegetables, adding a little bit of rice flour to the mixture can help a lot. Rice flour is going to make the pakoras a lot more crispier and also help in absorbing less oil. The pakoras will not only become crunchier than regular but also will have less quantity of oil as compared to the regular pakoras.
* Cold Water
While making the batter, a person should always choose cold water instead of using lukewarm water or water kept at room temperature. The cold water that is used to make the batter will always make sure that the pakoras do not absorb a lot of oil while being deep fried. On the other hand, a batter that is made from lukewarm water or water that is kept at room temperature will always make the pakoras absorb more oil than required.
* Type of Kadhai
The type of kadhai that a person uses also makes a huge difference in the crispiness and texture of the pakoras. A person should always choose a heavy bottom frying pan as it helps in controlling the temperature. If a person has an air fryer present at home then it is probably the best option as it doesn't require any kind of oil and pakoras become extremely crispy. The only thing that one has to be careful about is the temperature and the amount of time that is used to cook the pakoras. Most of the air fryers have a frying mood that can be chosen to cook the best pakoras.
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* Don't Keep Them On Tissues
A lot of people have this common habit of instantly transferring the pakoras on a paper towel or a napkin as soon as they take the pakoras out of the kadhai. This makes the pakoras soggier and they become loose in a span of a few minutes. Hence, a person needs to make sure that they do not keep the smouldering pakoras on the top of any kind of towel or napkin. Instead, a person should keep these fritters on the top of a wire rack. The wire rack will take out the dripping oil and will also not make the texture of the pakoras soggy.
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* Vegetables
A great way to make the pakoras healthier is by choosing the right kind of vegetables. A lot of people like to make pakoras with the help of potatoes. However, potatoes are highly rich in carbohydrates that can contribute to weight gain. Instead, a person should go for a more fibrous vegetable like spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, and even condiments like paneer to make healthy pakoras. This is a great way to enhance the nutritional proportion of the pakoras while maintaining the taste and the texture.
* Stirring The Batter
While making the batter, a person should be careful that they do not over-stir the mixture. Always apply a very light hand while mixing chickpea flour, water and spices. Rigorous mixing of all these ingredients can make the batter very stretchy and also lead to the formation of gluten. Also doing this step will make sure that the outer coat on the vegetables remains intact and also the pakoras absorb less oil than regular. This will make the pakoras more crunchy and less song.