Recipe - Pakora Batter

1 1/3 cup Chick pea flour, sifted
2 teaspoon Ghee
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
One fourth teaspoon Cayenne
One half teaspoon Turmeric
1 teaspoon Garam masala
2 teaspoon Coriander
1 teaspoon Salt
9 tablespoon Cold water, as needed
1/3 teaspoon Baking powder, optional

Combine the flour, melted ghee, lemon juice, spices & salt in a bowl & mix
together well. Add 5 tablespoon of cold water slowly, beating it until the mixture
is smooth & free of lumps. Slowly add another 3 tablespoon water & continue to beat
until well mixed. Check the conssitency, it should resemble the
consistency of heavy cream & easily coat a spoon. If it does not, add more
water, till it does.

Cover the batter & set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to let it settle.

Beat again for a couple of minutes to lighten the batter. Stir in the
baking powder at this point if you want a cake like crust.

For pakoras, choose a selection of your favourite vegetables:

Cauliflower florets Eggplant cut into 1/4inch rounds Potatoes or yams cut
into 1/8inch rounds Bell peppers, cut or sliced up 1/4inch thick Zucchini, cut on
the diagonal, 1/4inch thick Asparagus tips, blanched & dried

Heat 3 inches of ghee in a wok or deep skillet till hot. Dip your
vegetables in the batter & one by one sloip them into the hot oil. Fry
until the pakoras are golden brown on all sides. Remove & drain on paper
towels. Serve immediately.

Yamuna Devi, "The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking"

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini