Garhwali urad ki pakodi

As the name suggests, this dish is from the beautiful hills of Uttarakhand. Although they are shaped like badas, they are known as pakodis. This pakodi is treated as sacred food in the region and is made for religious functions.

Ingredients

(makes around 25 pakodis)

1 cup urad dal, whole-skinned/split

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ cup black sesame seeds

500 ml mustard oil

Method

Soak the urad dal overnight. Drain the water and grind in a food processor. Add a little water and keep running the processor until the batter becomes light and the volume increases due to aeration.

Mix turmeric powder to the urad dal paste and mix thoroughly. Shape the mixture into small, flat, cookie-shaped discs and coat them with black sesame seeds.

Heat the oil to medium-hot and deep-fry the pakodis. Scoop out some hot oil with a ladle and pour over the pakodis from the sides of the pan so that its surface becomes firm, while it cooks slowly over medium heat. Add about 8–10 pakodis in each batch, while keeping a safe distance between them to avoid them from sticking to each other.

Keep turning the pakodis gently to cook evenly until they become crisp and golden-brown on the surface. Remove from oil with the help of a slotted spoon and place them on a plate lined with a kitchen towel.

Serve hot with coriander chutney.