Green Tomato Pakora with Cornmeal
TAMATAR PAKORA
-Recipe from Yamuna mataji
If you have a trouble patch or even one plant on the patio, harvest 3
or 4 tomatoes when they are green and try this delicious dish.
Alternatively, you can purchase green or firm red tomatoes, but if they
are soft and ripe, they will exude too much moisture when heated.
Though cornmeal makes the most flavorful coating, a mixture of half
semolina and half chickpea flour is also pleasant. Semolina flour is
sold at Indian grocery stores, large health food stores and is
supermarket gourmet aisles. If you wish, season the coating with 1
teaspoon (5 ml) of any dried herb, such as crushed summer savory,
marjoram, oregano, chervil or basil.
Preparation and drying time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
4 medium-sized green tomatoes
2/3 cup (95 g) yellow or white cornmeal, preferably stone-ground,
or 1/3 cup each semolina (70 g) and chickpea flour (30 g)
1 ½ teaspoons (7 ml) salt
½ teaspoon (2 ml) cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon (0.5 ml) cayenne pepper or paprika
2 teaspoons (10 ml) coarsely crushed cumin seeds
4 table spoons (60 ml) ghee or a mixture of vegetable oil and unsalted butter.
1.
Slice the tomatoes, unpeeled, about ½ inch (1.5 cm) thick and
save the ends for another use. Pat the slices dry with paper towels.
Combine the cornmeal or semolina-chickpea flour mixture, salt, pepper,
cayenne or paprika and crushed cumin seeds in a pie dish, and mix well.
Press both sides of each tomato slice in the coating and set on a cake
rack to air-dry for 5-10 minutes.
2. Place 2 table
spoons (30 ml) of the ghee or oil-butter mixture in a large heavy
nonstick or cast-iron skill set over moderately high heat. When it is
hot but not smoking, place in the pan as many coated slices as will
easily fit. Fry until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 1 ½
minutes, then turn with tongs or a spatula and brown the second side.
Remove and fry the remaining coated slices, adding ghee or the
oil-butter mixture as necessary. Serve hot.