Monitoring Desk
RAWALPINDI: Ramadan is underway and if there is one food item Pakistanis look forward to at the end of a reflective day of fasting it is the humble, the salty, the delicious fried pakora.
In a poll of 200 Pakistanis conducted by Arab News, which asked them to choose their favorite Ramadan fried treat, 63 percent picked the pakora. Samosas came in at 20 percent, dahi bhalay (a fried lentil cake served in yogurt) at 12 percent.
Why do Pakistanis love pakoras so much?
“What a question!” said Lahore’s Blue Door Supper Club’s chef and owner Unum Amin, “It’s like our tempura! You can fry anything within the pakora framework, it is the most versatile food.”
Pakoras are vegetables, cheese, meat or even full chili peppers dipped in seasoned gram or chickpea flour batter. Crispy, deep-fried till golden and dipped into various sauces, the delicious fritters are a favorite snack of not only Pakistan but the entire Indian subcontinent.
Since children usually do not enjoy eating vegetables, pakoras are also a great way to smuggle some plant fiber into their diet.
In another poll, Arab News asked Pakistanis what types of pakoras they loved.
Most of respondents, 65 percent, said the classic potato pakora was their favorite, with onion, spinach, eggplant, chili and paneer versions trailing far behind.
“Thin, super thin potato pakoras that are extra crispy, that’s the perfect way to eat them. They can be devoured with anything!” Rakhshana Asghar from Rawalpindi told Arab News, as she underlined the snack’s universality.
Depending on the pakora base, their dips can be spicy and minty green chutney, sweet tamarind chutney, ketchup, sweet garlic sauce and even chili mayonnaise. Relish is what gives pakora lovers space to get creative.
Their creativity gets a boost during Ramadan, when pakoras become the most popular food item.
At each household pakoras taste different, reflecting the preferences of family members. The snack is indeed largely a family affair.
New York-based public relations expert Zahra Ahsan told Arab News she thinks of pakoras with nostalgia. “They take me back to being in Lahore with my entire family. If there’s one thing that brings everyone to the table in Ramadan, it’s pakoras.”
Easy, quick, cheap and light, pakoras are the most natural choice for iftar, or fast-breaking meal. According to Amin, “It wouldn’t be Ramadan in Pakistan without pakoray!”
She shared with Arab News her own pakora recipe. For those who are going to try it, Amin gives a tip: “You can add each filling to the batter individually or, as I like to do, mix them together in different combinations — spinach with cottage cheese, potato with onion, eggplant with onion, or everything together!”
As pakora batter can be made in various ways and should be individually adjusted to taste buds, Amin’s recipe, she said, is open to modification.
PAKORAS OF BLUE DOOR SUPPER CLUB
(Serves 4-6)
Optional: finely chopped green chili and coriander leaves
FILLING SUGGESTIONS
METHOD
Courtesy: (Arabnews)
F.P. Report RAWALPINDI: General Angus J. Campbell, Chief of Defence Forces Australia, paid a visit…
(Reuters): Following are reactions from foreign governments and officials to the news that a helicopter…
ATLANTA (Reuters): U.S. President Joe Biden delivered the commencement address at Morehouse College on Sunday,…
Yossi Mekelberg Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu avoids giving interviews to domestic media outlets, as…
Sir Alan Duncan More than 13 years since the onset of civil war, the suffering…
Hafed Al-Ghwell Once hailed as the Arab Spring’s lone democratic success story, Tunisia is now…
This website uses cookies.