In this post, I am sharing how to make these fritters using a aebeskiver pan, however you can deep fry them too.
Pakora/Pakoda= Fritters. Kuttu Ka Atta= Buckwheat Flour. In my grandmother’s house, we always had kuttu ke pakode for falahari meals. These are also know as vrat ke pakode or falahari pakode. This is an easy kuttu recipe for Navartri or for any fasting occasion. You can make these with tea for snacking on usual days too- these are nutritious, satisfying, crispy and delicious!
Kuttu ka atta is a favorite in northern indian during fasting days. I may fast or not, however I absolutely love vrat ka khana. Here’s are few more of my vrat friendly recipes-
Vrat Ke Aloo Banana Coconut Burfi Mango Sandesh Lauki Ki Kheer Pineapple Peda
Serve these pakodas with green cilantro mint chutney and a bowl of yogurt. My grandmother always told to pair these with yogurt because buckwheat flour has a tendency heating up the gut and yogurt counters that. This is just a suggestion, please follow rules of your family for vrat ka Khana.
About My Recipe
The pakoda batter is simple- you need kuttu ka atta, potatoes, peanuts, cumin, cilantro and sendha namak (rock salt). My grandmother and mom used to deep fry these pakodas. They used raw potatoes cut into very small pieces and the potatoes cooked during the deep frying process. I have changed the recipe a little bit because I avoid deep frying and make them in paniyaram pan or aebleskiver pan. I use boiled potatoes and roasted peanuts and cook slow so that they aren’t raw from inside and crisp up well. These kuttu ke pakode are
Gluten free & easily made vegan (fry in oil). Easy to make and need few ingredients. Great for fasting and will make you feel full and energetic.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for this recipe
Kuttu Ka Atta Or Buckwheat Flour. It is easily available in American or Indian stores. My favorite is the one from arrowhead mills. Raw Peanuts - Since these are for fasting, so I like to roast raw peanuts and use them, however you can use pre roasted unsalted peanuts from the store. Boiled Potatoes - Boil potatoes till fork tender in pressure cooker or Instant pot. Since they will cook further, make sure that you dont over boil them. Other Ingredients - Sendha Namak, Lemon Juice, Green Chilles, cumin seeds, cilantro, ghee or oil.
How Make Kuttu ke Pakore
Preparation - 1) Peel the potatoes and chop them into bite size pieces. Dont mash. 2) Chop the cilantro and green chilies. 3) Dry roast the raw peanuts in a small pan. Crush coarsely using a mortar pestle. Make the Pakoda Batter - In a large bowl, add all the ingredients - kuttu, potatoes, cilantro, cumin, green chilies, sendha namak and peanuts. Add water slowly and make a thickish batter. The consistency of batter should be that you can drop it into small balls into hot oil with hands or cookie scoop. It should not be runny, neither it should be too tight.
Fry in Paniyram Pan - Heat up the pan. Once nicely hot (but not too hot), add a little oil to all the sections of the pan. Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop 1 tablespoon of batter into each section. Let cook slowly for 3-4 minutes on one side and them flip to cook on other. Drain on a paper towel and serve.
Tip :- Dont make too big pakodas else they will remain raw inside. You can deep or shallow fry is you wish.
Variations
You can mix some boiled arbi (taro root) with the potatoes if you wish. Instead of buckwheat, use singhare ka atta (water chestnut) for the batter. Skip peanuts for a nut free version. Add 1-2 tablespoons of fresh or desiccated coconut to the batter if you wish. If you are making these pakodas for a teatime snack, add seasonings like red chilli powder, chaat masala etc for more flavor.
Few Tips
Be mindful of the heat level while frying else the pakodas will absorb oil. Use a heavy kadai or pot for frying. Boil the potatoes few hours ahead and put them in the fridge. Cold potatoes won’t get mashed in the batter. If the batter become wet, add 2-3 tablespoons of buckwheat flour and adjust salt and green chillies If the batter is looking dry, add extra water, slowly. I recommend using ghee while cooking them in panirayam pan for amazing taste. However, use plant based oil if you want to keep them vegan.
