: Pakora Map of India: The Delicious Story of India’s Deep-Fried Wonders #IndiaNEWS #Food As the sky growls angrily announcing the impending showers, my mother rushes to the kitchen to make arrangements

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Pakora Map of India: The Delicious Story of India’s Deep-Fried Wonders #IndiaNEWS #Food
As the sky growls angrily announcing the impending showers, my mother rushes to the kitchen to make arrangements for the grand arrival. In a matter of minutes, a thick batter full of wondrous flavours is ready. She scoops out delicate balls of the batter and releases them into the hot oil. Then, a magical duet ensues as the sizzles of the oil welcoming the tiny balls, join the cheerful pitter-patter of the raindrops hitting the window. Served with a piping hot cup of tea or coffee, ‘tele-bhaja’ as they are called in Bengali, manage to bring joy with every bite.
Although a personal memory, I cannot lay claim to it as this is a nostalgic moment experienced by almost every Indian. Adored across the country, this comfort snack has a number of names like tele-bhaja, bhajji, bonda, vada, etc. But, in a more generic sense, we all know it as the humble but absolutely fabulous pakoras.
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A snack that is easily found in almost every corner of the country, pakoras are a simple dish packed with complex flavours. In a moment it can metamorphosize from being the star of a tea-time ritual to a reliable side-dish in a meal. For instance, in some Bengali families, tele-bhajas form an integral part of the multi-course daily meal.
Almost any vegetable, greens, fruits, fish or even meat can be made into pakoras, which reminds me of a funny story about my neighbour who would refuse to have her meal without a bowl of tele-bhajas on the side. One day, to teach her a lesson, her mother picked up some fresh grass, washed it thoroughly and dipped in a thick spiced batter of besan (chickpea flour) and fried it for her daughter, who unbeknownst enjoyed the same for lunch.
Whatever be the memory, this dish is an emotion wrapped in layers of spiced besan or any other kind of flour, and fried till golden.
United in ‘Pakoras’
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Be it begunis (eggplant pakora) served in Durga Puja bhogs, Mumbai’s batata vada (potato pakoras) or the stringy onion crisps called vengayam pakoda served in Chennai, almost every region in India boasts its unique variety of pakoras. Although the West has its fritters and beignets, the chickpea flour batter and the concept of ‘pakki rasoi and kachchi rasoi’ are exclusive to Indian pakoras.
Indian cuisine was broadly divided into two sections—pakki rasoi and kachchi rasoi—based on the process of preparation of food. While ‘kachchi rasoi’ entailed boiled or raw foods that couldn’t be stored for long, ‘pakki rasoi’ included foods that were fried and stored for longer, especially during long travels. The high heat used to fry the food ensured little to no moisture was left in it.

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