Heerekai Bajji Recipe | Turai/Ridge Gourd Pakoda Recipe

Learn how to make Heerekai Bajji or Turai/Ridge Gourd Pakoda ~ Crispy deep fried ridge gourd fritters in a spicy gram flour batter

It’s been three weeks since we came back after a month long stay in India; from one home where I was born and spent most part of my life to another home which has been our home for more than a decade. I brought with me a bag full of homemade treats, pickles, masalas, heirloom pieces to adorn our home and most importantly, beautiful memories to cherish! I have many stories to tell, recipes to share, photographs to show in coming days. But now, I am trying to fight the homesickness that engulfs me… One would think that it becomes easier after 12 years of leaving the motherland, but it’s as fresh as the first time I left the country where my soul lives… As I continue to struggle with homesickness and writer’s block, let me share this quick recipe of simple Heerekai Bajji or Ridge Gourd/Turai Pakoda that my Amma made on a beautiful monsoon evening.

There is something magical about eating hot, crispy pakodas with chai or filter kaapi on a monsoon evening which is difficult to put in few words. For me, a plate of crisp pakodas, hot cup of freshly brewed filter coffee and a book in hand while watching the monsoon rain weave their magic is something I can never tire of. On one such evening when it was raining cats and dogs, Amma made these delicious Heerekai Bajji or Turai/Ridge Gourd Pakodas and one bit of it, I fell in love with it. In between stuffing my face with this crispy goodness, I managed to click couple of photographs and write down the recipe to share with you all. :)

There are couple of things to keep in mind when buying the ridge gourd for this recipe. Choose ridge gourd which has firm dark green coloured skin with fresh green stem. A good ridge gourd has firm flesh and tender seeds. If you find their flesh to be cotton like soft texture, it’s best not to use for this recipe. Make sure the pakoda batter is neither too thick or thin. It should be of dosa batter consistency. It should stick to the ridge gourd and coat evenly before deep frying. Fry the pakoras on medium flame to make sure it is cooked thoroughly inside out. Don’t be tempted to cook them on high flame as you will end up with half cooked, chewy pakodas. So keeping all these in mind, let’s get cooking this delicious Heerekai Bajji or Turai/Ridge Gourd Pakoda. Let’s get cracking! :)

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Heerekai Bajji/Ridge Gourd Pakoda (Crispy, deep fried ridge gourd fritters coated in spicy chickpeas batter)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Recipe Level: Easy/Beginners
Spice Level: Medium
Makes: About 15-20
Shelf Life: Best served fresh
Serving Suggestion: On their own or with any spicy chutney or ketchup with a cup of tea or coffee

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Ingredients:
1 medium Ridge Gourd, peeled and sliced into ¾ cm thick rounds
Oil for deep frying

For the batter:
¾ cup Gram/Chickpeas Flour, sifted to remove lumps
1 heaped tbsp. Rice Flour or Semolina
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds, crush it in your palms to release their flavour
¼ tsp Ajwain/Carom Seeds, crush it in your palms to release their flavour
½-1 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Adjust as per taste)
¼ tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder
A generous pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
A pinch of Cooking Soda/Soda Bi Carbonate (Optional)
Salt to taste

Method:
Preparation:

1. Prepare the batter by mixing the sifted gram flour, rice flour or semolina, cumin seeds, carom seeds, red chilli powder, turmeric, hing, cooking soda and salt to taste. Add little water at time to make batter which is not too runny or thick (dosa batter consistency). Taste and adjust the seasoning and keep it aside until needed.
2. Heat the oil for deep frying on medium flame.
3. While the oil is heating, wash and scrape the ridge gourd with a help of a sharp knife or peeler to remove the hard ridges. It is not required to peel the ridge gourd completely. Slice the ridge gourd to 3/4 – 1 cm thick discs and keep it aside.
4. Line the plate or tray with kitchen towel and keep it aside.

Proceed to cook:

1. Dip the ridge gourd discs in a batter, making sure that the batter is well coated on all sides before gently dropping it into a hot oil, one at a time. Fry the pakodas in a batch of 5-6 on medium flame, flipping them in between until they turn golden brown and crisp. It takes around 3-4 minutes per batch on a medium flame.
2. Remove the cooked pakodas from oil using slotted spoons and place them on a plate lined with kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil.
3. Serve this delicious Heerekai Bajji or Turai/Ridge Gourd Pakoda on its own or with any chutney or ketchup along with a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee. Enjoy!

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Sia’s Notes:

• Choose ridge gourd which has firm dark green coloured skin with fresh green stem. A good ridge gourd has firm flesh and tender seeds. If you find their flesh to be cotton like soft texture, discard it.
• Make sure the batter is neither too thick or thin. It should be of dosa batter consistency. It should stick to the ridge gourd and coat evenly before deep frying.
• Fry the pakoras on medium flame to make sure it is cooked thoroughly inside out. Don’t be tempted to cook them on high flame as you will end up with half cooked, chewy pakodas.

Paneer Stuffed Mirchi Bajji/Pakoda Recipe ~ How to Make Stuffed Mirchi Pakoda

Learn how to make Paneer Stuffed Mirchi Bajji/Pakoda ~ Spicy mashed potato and paneer/Indian cottage cheese stuffed chillies coated in spicy gram flour batter and deep fried till crisp

Coming here after months is deja vu all over again! The feeling is same as unlocking the house that has been locked for months. My feet makes an imprint on the thin coat of dust on the floor as I gingerly step inside the house which at the m. My eyes well up from sneezing uncontrollably as I

lift the dust covers from the furniture.The house starts to feel like a home as the cobwebs are brushed off and the floor is wiped sparkling clean… And finally the sense of belonging hugs me as I sit back and look around the familiar surrounding. I am home… Finally!

I have been away from blogging and social network for a very long time now. Although it wasn’t intentional, a long break from social media was simply rejuvenating and helped me clear my mind from the narcissist world of social network! This break helped me in rekindling my love affair with books, yoga and meditation. We as a family have been spending more time with one another, rediscovering the forgotten lanes of Bangalore, visiting our old favourite food joints, finding new favourites, introducing Lil Dumpling to the vibrant Indian culture, visiting family and friends, making new friends and of course, cooking family meals together.

Gujje Podi Recipe | Vegan Tender Jackfruit Pakoda/Fritter Recipe

Learn how to make Gujje Podi/Tender Jackfruit Pakoda/Fritter ~ Vegan and Gluten-Free Tender Jackfruit Pakoda/Podi

When I was a kid, the everyday meal cooked using the ingredients grown in your own backyard was something that I considered ‘blah’, well, boring! There was nothing interesting in eating the food cooked using the ingredient that grew right in front of my eyes.

Gujje Podi/Tender Jackfruit Fritters ~ Deep fried goodness!

Bendi, simple coconut based curry made using large pumpkins growing in a vine? Boring!

Huli Menasina Kodhel, lightly spiced coconut curry made using ivy gourds covering the portion of wall and roof in the back of the house? Well, boring!

Tomato Majjige Huli, sour buttermilk and coconut based curry with tomatoes plucked right from the plant in a big planter? Let’s not even talk about it!

Stuffed Capsicum Pakoda or Pakora Recipe | Spicy Potato Stuffed Bell Pepper Fritter

Learn how to make Stuffed Capsicum/Bell Pepper Pakoda or Pakora ~ Deep fried bell pepper rings stuffed with spiced potato mash and coated with spicy gram flour paste

Diwali was a very quiet affair at our home with just three of us spending time with one another. With the sudden drop in temperature from two digits to single digits on the lower side, Lil Dumpling caught a flu bug and he was seen coughing and sneezing for most part of the day. So we skipped the traditional oil bath and gorging on home cooked festival foods and found comfort in a bowl of spicy Rasam rice and soups.

Stuffed Bread Pakoda/Pakora Recipe | How to Make Bread Pakoda/Pakora

Lean to make Stuffed Bread Pakoda/Pakora ~ Deep fried savoury bread slices stuffed with spicy mashed potato and coated with spicy chickpea flour batter

Every night after patting Lil Dumpling to sleep I stand next to the window, looking out at the night sky. Some days I see the full moon, round and bright, shining down on us with little twinkling starts against deep blue background! Some other days the same moon peeks out of dark grey clouds heavy with unshed rain. Most days I watch little drops of rain falling gently from the sky and kissing the earth, pitter pattering in a small puddle formed by one missing brick from the pathways right under the street light. On some other days, the rain is accompanied by gushing wind, howling in the dark night like a lonely wolf parted from its family and looking desperately for them. And then there are nights when torrential rain falls angrily on ground, tearing the sky like Monsoon rains in my home land!

Jeegujje Podi/Breadfruit Pakodas & A Protest Against YAHOO

Breadfruit one of the common vegetable found in every household. When it comes to Mangalore cuisine, Breadfruit is the best substitute for Potatoes. It has got gummy, rubbery finish when raw and has got this melt in mouth texture when cooked. I remember the days when I and my sister used to climb this huge breadfruit tree in the backyard and spend most of our time swinging from its branch. Oh!!! We were naughty monkeys ;) For me, Breadfruit tree is one of the handsome trees, with its branches spread out evenly with gorgeous green foliage. Their leaves have this beautiful glossy green colour.
There are many recipes for cooking breadfruit. My favourite are sambar, majjige huli, palya and podi/pakodas. Here is a simple recipe of making Jigujje Podi/Breadfruit Pakodas.

Jeegujje Podi

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Jeegujje Podi(Breadfruit Fritters)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10-15 mins
Serves: 2-3

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Ingredients:
¼ Breadfruit
½ cup Gram Flour
1 tbsp Rice Flour
½ tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
A pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
Salt to taste

Jeegujje Podi

Method:
Peel the bread fruit and remove the fibrous part in centre.
Slice them into ½ cm thickness.
Keep them immersed in water till required.
In a mean while, add all other ingredients and make thick paste using water.
Remove the slices from water and dry them using paper towel.
Coat each slice with paste evenly and deep fry them in oil at medium flame till they turn golden yellow.
Remove from oil and place them on paper towel to remove excess oil.
Serve them hot with tomato ketchup with a hot cup of coffee and enjoy.

Jeegujje Podi

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Note:
Note that frying breadfruit requires more time than usual pakodas.
Use Asafoetida/Hing while cooking breadfruit as they tend to be very starchy.

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Jeegujje Podi

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Some Interesting Facts about Breadfruit:
The breadfruit is:
Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium
High in Vitamin C, Dietary Fiber and Potassium
The nutritional value of breadfruit makes it ideal for:
Maintaining optimum health
It is also OK to include breadfruit in your diet for:
Weight loss
Weight gain
(Source: http://www.great-workout.com)

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Jeegujje Podi

YAHOO: Enough of Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V

A protest against Yahoo! India plagiarizing contents from bloggers.
I just want to say: Shame on you Yahoo!
Read more here & here & here & here... We stand united for our rights.

(Icon credits - Sandeepa of Bong Mom's cook )

Onion Bajjis(Pakoda)

“Life is an onion and one peels it crying”

-French Proverb quote

Onions

Autumn is moving towards winter... Im starting to feel the chill in the air. Sun is playing i-spy with me. I'm still looking for him... I know he is there, up in the black clouds hiding from me... Have anyone seen him? Let him keep hiding. Im sure he cant resist the spicy, delicious smell of Onion Bajjis im gonna make... Mmmmm.... They smell great...and tastes superb!!! Oh... There is he... Peeping from that big black cloud... Ha ha ha... I know he will be out and bright in no seconds... He cant resist the competition with the lovely golden yellow of bajjis. Oh... Where are they? There were 8 of them...now all gone:)

Onion Bajjis(Pakoda)

Ingredients:
1 big onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp ajwain seeds
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 tbls fresh coriander leaves, chopped finely
1 tbls of red chilli powder
1-2 green chillies(optional)
1/4 cup of besan(Gram flour)
Salt to taste
Little water
Oil for deep frying

Ingredients

Ready for deep fry

Method:
Mix all the ingredients(onions-salt) adding little water at a time
Take spoonful of mixture and deep fry in oil in a medium flame till they become crisp and golden brown.
Serve hot with tomato sauce or any chutney with tea.

Golden Onion Pakodas