50gmmaida(all purpose flour / refined white wheat flour)
10gmKashmiri chili powder
1gmturmeric powder
1gmasafoetida powder
7gmpowdered salt
2sprigstender curry leaves
cooking oilto deep fry
Instructions
To prepare:
Use a sharp knife to cut the potatoes into uniform juliennes of around 3 mm (1/8-inch) thickness.
Transfer them to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the powdered salt, the chili powder, the turmeric powder and the asafoetida powder.
Mix thoroughly with your fingers so that the juliennes are covered with the powders.
Now sprinkle the all purpose flour (maida) and the chickpea (besan) flour and mix well again.
Pull the curry leaves off their sprigs and tip them in.
Finally, sprinkle the corn flour and mix thoroughly once more.
To deep-fry:
Set a deep wok or frying pan on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil.
As soon as the oil is hot (it should not smoke), take little portions of the potato juliennes in your hand and grip them tightly between your palm and fingers to bind them together in any shape of your choice (so long as the pakodas are thin).
Slip them in, gently and quickly, one by one, taking care not to overcrowd the pan.
A minute later, turn down the heat and let fry for 3 minutes.
Now flip over the pakodas carefully, for roasting uniformly. Fry for a minute and lift up the pakodas. Drain off the excess oil.
Continue likewise in batches till all the potato pakodas are done. Enjoy hot, dipping them in fresh tomato sauce. Bon appétit!
Recipe Notes
Once the powders are mixed, the pakodas need to be fried as fast as possible as the potatoes tend to ooze water soon after coming into contact with salt.