Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to: [email protected]
A bowl of pakoras with mint chutney and salad on the side is a perfect combination these days when the weather is not so cold and not so hot in the evenings. The most important part of any pakora is the gram flour batter seasoned with red chilli, salt, turmeric, carom seeds and prepared with water which is then used to coat vegetables like cauliflower, brinjal, potato, onion , chilli or non-vegetarian items like chicken, fish, prawns or even mutton.
The best part is that you can play around with the batter and give your own choice of taste to it, most of the spices work well with the gram flour batter like I add oregano in the pakora that I make to give them some unique flavour. The non-vegetarian pakora are trickier to make as compared to the vegetarian ones as you need to cook the meat inside without getting the batter burnt.
To avoid this situation you can either half cook the meat so that they cook along the batter and pakora are tasty to eat. Mutton pakora are the toughest ones to make where as fish, prawn and chicken are relatively easier to make.
Chicken pakora
Serves 2
Ingredients
Chicken breast 500g
Chickpea flour 1 cup
Coriander powder ½ tsp
Cumin powder ½ tsp
Chilli powder ½ tsp
Garam masala ½ tsp
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Garlic crushed 2 cloves
Water ¾ cup
Chat masala 1 tsp
Oil to deep fry
Method
Cut the chicken breast into ½ inch to 1 inch dices and keep aside.
Sift chickpeas flour in a bowl, add coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, salt and garlic.
Gradually pour water into the well and mix to form a thick smooth batter with coating consistency.
Sprinkle some salt and red chilli powder on chicken and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan or a deep fat fryer.
Dip the chicken cubes one by one in the batter and remove excess batter from the side.
Fry the chicken for about 4-5 minutes in small batches until light brown.
Drain on kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.
Fry again to make the pakora crispy and golden brown.
Cut one piece with knife to check if the pakora is cooked.
Sprinkle some chat masala and serve hot with choice of dip.
Note: Fry the chicken pakora over low or medium heat so that the chicken is not raw from inside.
Muesli
Muesli is a versatile healthy cereal that can be eaten in many ways. You can either choose to eat it cold with milk or you can add some fruits, yogurt, dry fruits, apple juice, spices, honey and other grains to make it your signature muesli or cook with hot milk to consume in winters. Muesli was originally developed by Dr Bircher Benner, a Swiss nutritionist in the 19th century for his patients at the hospital.
He believed that food is the best medicine and also knew that people won’t accept something which does not taste good. Then he created an irresistible and healthy mix of grains, fruit and nuts which was savored by his patients and later on became so popular that it gained worldwide popularity and is consumed in almost every country by millions of people.
The original Bircher muesli was soaked overnight with water and lemon juice and then eaten with yoghurt. Oats are considered as the best food item for the heart as it helps lower the cholesterol level in the body and provides essential nutrients to the body as well.
Overnight muesli
Serves 2
Ingredients
Muesli (oats) 1 cup
Yoghurt 2/3 cup
Milk ½ cup
Honey 2-3 tbsp
Almonds 10-12 pcs
Method
Place all the ingredients in a bowl except almonds and mix until combined.
Distribute the mixture into 2 serving bowls and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, add almonds on top and enjoy as a healthy breakfast.
Muesli parfait
Serves 2
Ingredients
Muesli 1 cup
Strawberries 6-8 no
Blueberries 50g
Raspberry 50g
Yoghurt 1cup
Honey 2 tbsp
Method
Layer fruits and muesli in a glass or tall glass so that the different layers are visible.
Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve chilled.
Chicken pakora
