The spinach that we use for this snack is called ‘Tropical Amaranthus’. As we know, spinach are herbs that have the power of curing many rare diseases This herb is a rich source of iron, calcium, phosphorus, proteins, sugar. Kids mostly deny to have spinach with their meal. By making a pakoda with spinach mixed in it, the kids will have a tasty yet healthy snack.
Ingredients
- Ground nut oil – 1 litre
- Green Chilli – 3
- Cinnamon – 1
- Fennel seeds – 2 tablespoon
- Garlic – 15 cloves
- Gram flour – 500g
- Asafetida – 1/4 tablespoon
- Salt – 1/4 tablespoon
- Nutmeg – 1/4
- Oil – 3 tablespoon
- Chilli powder – 1/4 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tablespoon
- Siru keerai (Spinach) – one bunch (in English it’s called ‘Tropical Amaranthus’)
- Cashew – 50g
- Half lemon – squeeze its juice
Things to be done before we start cooking
- Take a bunch of spinach (Sirukeerai, Tropical Amaranthus (English)), get the leaves alone and cut them into small pieces. Wash them in water for 4 to 5 times, drain the water, let them dry in a bowl for some time.
- Grind 50 grams of cashew nut to powder and keep it in a small bowl aside.
Steps to Prepare
1 Take a mixy jar and add the below to it –
- Green Chilli – 3 (cut them in the middle)
- Cinnamon – 1
- Fennel seeds – 2 tablespoon
- Garlic – 15 cloves (no need to peel the skin)
Run the mixy and grind them to a coarse powder without adding water.
2 Take a big basin bowl and add the below to it –
- Gram flour – 500g
- Asafetida – 1/4 tablespoon
- Salt – 1/4 tablespoon
- Nutmeg – 1/4 (Nutmeg can be grated and added)
Mix the contents well with bare hands.
3 Then let’s pour 3 tablespoons of groundnut oil to the flour in basin bowl. Stir well with hands to mix them. Never press too hard so that our dough doesn’t get hard and sticky.
4 Now, let’s add the below –
- Chilli powder – 1/4 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tablespoon
- Cashew nut powder – obtained by grinding 50 grams of cashew nuts
- Masala – grinded in mixy jar
- Lemon juice – squeezed from half the fruit
- Spinach
Stir well with hands to mix all the contents (please note: never knead the dough and other contents, the dough may get hard)
5 Place a 3 litre pan on the burner, pour in 1 litre of ground nut oil to it. Turn the flame to High mode and let the oil get hot.
6 Once oil gets hot, start putting the dough little by little into the hot oil.
- After 10 seconds, stir a little with metal spoon, then we need to stir occasionally for another 8 to 10 minutes
- Let the dough get fried for 10 minutes to turn into crispy pakoda.
- Transfer the pakoda to a plate and serve it hot.
