by Bushra Abbas
A popular food item during Iftar time is the ‘pakora’ which is made with gram flour, coriander leaves, onions, and green chilies with combination of salt and other spices to enhance the taste. Although every item of Iftar has various versions, pakoras has a range of varieties. It is said that the fasting is not complete without pakoras at the Iftar time.
Pakora is a deep-fry delight commonly made of gram flour. The batter is made by mixing the gram flour with spices such as chilly (both green and red), dried oregano leaves (ajwin), coriander leaves, salt and other herbs to enhance the taste. Pakoras are also made with combination of vegetables, onions and minced meat. Some like to add egg as well to enhance the texture and softness of the cooked pakoras. All the chosen ingredients are mixed thoroughly to prepare batter of loose consistency and left for 30 minutes. Thereafter, warm the oil and when it is ready to deep fry, start pouring small portion with the help of a table spoon. Shape doesn’t matter. However, only care is to ensure that the poured batter is of small portion (single bite size). When the batter starts frying and turns to golden color, take them out and serve with traditional homemade dips like mint or tamarind chutney.