Iin India pakoras are a national passion. You can buy them there from little handcarts on the street or in snack places.
Here you can learn how to make them easily at home.

The preparation and cooking time after assembling ingerdients: about 10 minutes.
Resting time of the dough: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 30 minutes

Batter:

1 1/3 cup chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons crushed chillies
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
9 teaspoons cold water

Pakora suggestions
(you can use the vegetable of your choice):
Thin rounds of zucchinu
Small cauliflower flowerets
Potato rounds
Carrot rounds or strips
Thin-sliced eggplant wedges
Under-ripe banana, thinly sliced
Pumpkin, cut into squares
...Be creative

1. Sift the flour. Add spices and salt. Miw well. Add water slowly, beating with a whisk until batter is smooth. The batter should have the consistency of heavy cream.

2. Cover the batter and set aside for 10 minutes.

3. Whisk again for a couple of minutes and stir in the baking powder. Set aside.

4. Heat 3 inches of ghee or oil in a wok or pan until it is hot (355 F). Dip 5 or 6 of your selected ingredients in the dough and slip them one at a time in the hot ghee or oil. Fry until the pakoras are golden-brown, turning to brown evenly. Leavy greens may take as little as 1 minute per side, potaios may take up to five minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon. Serve hot.

This Tomato Chutney is the hit! Wherever we made it everybody gave it praise and loved it the most. And it's easy to make! Great as a dip for the pakoras.

Simple Tomato Chutney

Preparation and cooking time (after assembling ingredients): about 25 minutes
Makes: about 1 cup

2 tablespoons ghee
1-2 whole dried red chilies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped, peeled ripe tomatoes
3 tablespoons sugar or jaggery
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over moderate heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add the chilies, cumin seeds and cinnamon stick, and fry until the cumin seeds turn brown.

2. Carefully add the tomatoes, sweetener and salt, and stir the sizzling ingredients for 10-15 minutes until the chutney is fairly dry. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled. It can be kept, tightly covered and refrigerated, for 2-3 days.

Nobody can resist this one! Wonderful aromatic, sweet desert. Warming and satisfying.

Semolina Halavah with golden raisins

Preparation and cooking time (after assembling ingredients): about 25 minutes
Serves: 6

2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup ghee
1 cup semolina
1/4 cup sliced almonds

1. Combine the water and sugar in a heavy 2 quart saucepan over low heat and, while stirring, dissolve the sugar. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Gently boil it for a few minutes. Add the raisins and set aside, covered.

2. Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over moderately low heat. When it is hot, add the semolina and rhythmically stir-fry until the grains swell and darken to a warm golden color, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

3. Stirring steadily, gradually pour syrup into the semolina. At first the grains may sputter, but will quickly cease as the liquid is absorbed. Place the pan over very low heat and, stirring steadily, cook until the grains absorb the liquid and the texture is fluffy, up to 10 minutes. Best if served hot or warm.

Rice and Moong Dal Kichari with Cauliflower and peas

Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 5 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

1 cup basmati rice
1 small cauliflower, washed, dried and cut into flowerets
1 pinch of hing (asafotida)
4 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon minced seeded hot chilies (or as desired)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2/3 cup split moong dal (or split peas)
3/4 cup fresh green peas
7 cups water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ghee

1. Clean, wash, soak and drain rice and dal.

2. Have the cauliflower and hing ready next to the stove. Heat 4 tablespoons of ghee in a 4-5 quart saucepan over high heat. When it is hot, stir in ginger root, chillies and cumin seeds. Fry until the cumin seeds turn brown (they will darken in seconds).

3. Quickly add the hing and immediately follow with the cauliflower. Turn it about with a spoon, frying for 4-5 minutes or until slightly browned and partially cooked. Add the rice and dal and fry for about 1 minute.

4. Pour in the fresh peas, water and tumeric and bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and slowly cook, stirring occasionally, for 1- 1 1/2 hours or until rice and dal are soft and the mixture is similar to oatmeal in consistency. As the kichari thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Before serving, add the salt and 1 tablespoon ghee.

His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada taught us how to cook Indian Vegetarian Recipes. He brought the best food into the Western world - Indian Vegetarian Food called prasadam. He not only taught how to cook in the best possible way, he taught how everything is spiritualized by offering to Krishna, or God, before eating, with an attitude of gratefulness to the creator. We are eternally grateful to him, showing us this wonderful way of life.

"Every decision what food we eat is a vote for the kind of world we want."