Photo © Brave New Pictures and Gregg Lowe. Used with permission.
So excited to present this gorgeous novel The Parted Earth by Anjali Enjeti, along with a tasty Northern Indian street snack: spinach pakora. The book is set in Delhi, London, and Atlanta and traces the impact of the Indian partition on one family over nearly 70 years. How did I not know about the Indian partition??? When the British finally left India, their parting gift was to draw a line in the sand and divide India from Pakistan (which later split off into Pakistan and Bangladesh).
Before then, it was one big country. Muslims were forced to leave India for Pakistan while Hindus were forced to relocate over to India, splitting families and sending both countries into violence. Fifteen million people became refugees overnight. Several million died in the violence.
The Parted Earth brought all of that to life in memorable detail by giving us a family we care about, a love story, and brilliant settings, action, and characters. I couldn’t put it down.
During this episode of The Blue and Yellow Kitchen (watch below), I interview the author Anjali Enjeti and make spinach pakora, a portable snack that plays a role in the story. Chopped fresh spinach, finely diced onion, chickpea flour and spices combine into a fritter that’s dropped into deep, hot fat. The recipe is from Indian For Everyone by Anupa Singla, my go-to Indian cookbook. (Used with permission.)
My tip: Be sure to hand-cut the onion and spinach so it doesn’t give off too much liquid and the batter sets up nice and thick. Use a small ice cream scooper to drop portions into the hot oil (I used grapeseed oil for the neutral flavor and high smoke point.)
Taste preview: Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, these taste of spinach and spices with a hint of falafel from the chickpea flour.
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Spinach pakora
Ingredients
- 2 cups spinach packed, then finely chopped (90 g)
- 1 onions red, diced
- 1 2-inch ginger (fresh) peeled, then minced or grated
- 1-3 hot chiles (Habañero or similar) fresh Thai, serrano, or cayenne, stemmed, seeded, minced
- 1 cup chickpea flour gram, besan flour (110g)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt omit for low-sodium diet
- 1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne (can adjust if you need less heat)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon aijwan (carom seeds)
- 1/2 cup water (filtered or spring) warm. Start with 1/4 cup and see how the batter sets up.
- 2 cups grapeseed oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, onion, ginger, and fresh chiles and mix well to combine. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the besan, salt, red chile powder, turmeric, and ajwain and stir well to combine. You can also add other spices, including garam masala, ground black pepper, and so on. Be as creative as you like. Add half the water to the besan mixture and stir until smooth. This mixture should be fairly thick and not too watery. Make sure that there are no lumps in the batter.
- Slowly fold the spinach mixture into the batter.
- Ina small kadhai, wok, or saucepan over medium–high heat, warm the oil. The oil should be about 1 inch / 3 cm deep in the deepest part of the kadhai. You’ll know the oil is hot enough if you drop in a cumin seed and it sizzles and rises to the top immediately. You're looking for 350-360F if you have an instant-read thermometer.
- Using a tablespoon measure, carefully place 4 tablespoons / 60 mL of batter into the oil, 1 at a time, and cook for about 30 seconds on 1 side, until lightly browned but just shy of being cooked through. Turn over each of the pakoras and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Remove the pakoras with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet lined with a paper towel to absorb extra oil. Place a small, flat bowl on top of each pakora and press down lightly.
- Return the pakoras to the hot oil and cook for 30 to 40 seconds on each side, until golden brown. Remove from the heat. Remove the pakoras with a slotted spoon and transfer to the baking tray lined with fresh paper towels to absorb the oil. [Note from Anupy: My aunts in Chandigarh insist on doing this to ensure the pakoras are extra crispy. It also helps to make sure they cook through. Don’t worry: You can fry them just once as well. Just cook them a little longer to ensure they cook through.] I cooked mine for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and puffed up.
- Cook remaining batter in the same way until all are cooked. Eat immediately. These are normally served with Mint or Tamarind-Date Chutney.
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