Snacks · Nashta
Bhey ja Pakora
Lotus stem fritters (chutney-sandwiched)
Round slices of boiled bhey [lotus stem] are paired up with a thick, tangy green chutney between each two slices, dipped in a thick gram-flour batter and deep-fried (taraylo) until crisp and golden. A tikho-khatto (spicy-sour) snack with the porous, slightly firm bite of lotus stem, eaten hot in the evening with tea.
Ingredients
Make
Measure in
Cups are shown in grams or ml; spoons stay as spoons. Panja Khada’s own weights are used where they give them (1 cup of flour is 150 g, rice or dal 200 g, curd 225 g, milk or water 240 ml), and standard kitchen weights otherwise.
Main ingredient
For the batter
For the chutney stuffing
Method
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Wash the bhey thoroughly and cut it into round slices (roundels). Boil the slices only until semi-soft, then drain and keep aside.
Mix the gram flour, salt, oil and asafoetida in a bowl. Add water a little at a time until you have a thick batter that still pours.
Grind the coriander, green chillies, ginger, raw mango powder, sugar (if using) and salt into a fine, thick paste, using as little water as possible.
Spread a layer of chutney on one slice and cover it with a second slice to make a sandwich. Do the same with all the slices.
Heat oil in a kadai [wok-style deep pan] over a medium flame. Dip each sandwich in the batter until it is well coated, then deep-fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides.
Lift out, drain on absorbent paper and serve hot.
My notes
Your family’s way with this recipe, or a reminder for next time. Kept on this phone or computer, and shown in cook mode.
Tips and variations
Keep the boiled bhey slightly firm rather than soft, so the slices hold together in the oil. Variations: spicier — more green chillies in the chutney, or a pinch of red chilli powder in the batter; tangier — extra raw mango powder or some lime juice in the chutney; herbal — fresh mint in the chutney; aromatic — a little roasted cumin powder in the chutney; simpler — dip plain bhey slices in the batter, no chutney filling; crispier — add 1 tablespoon of rice flour to the batter; healthier — shallow-fry instead of deep-frying.
Serve with
Serve piping hot with Dharan ji Chutney (coriander chutney) or tomato ketchup. An evening snack with tea, also served at gatherings and special occasions.
Recipes mentioned here
Nutrition
EstimatedPer serving
310 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrate
- 31 g
- Fat
- 19 g
The recipe serves 4–5.
Whole recipe
1,410 kcal
- Protein
- 31 g
- Carbohydrate
- 138 g
- Fat
- 84 g
Everything in the ingredients list, plus the oil soaked up in frying.
These are estimates, worked out from the amounts in the recipe and typical values for each ingredient. Portion sizes and the exact amount of oil, ghee or sugar can change them a lot. For deep-fried food we count the oil the food soaks up, not the whole pan of oil. How we estimate
Good to know
Storage
Best eaten fresh; the chutney and the boiled bhey can be made ahead, but fried pakoras should not be stored because they go soft.
About this dishDid you know?, Cultural note
Did you know?
Bhey is naturally porous, so it soaks up flavour, which is why it suits stuffed fritters.
Cultural note
A traditional Sindhi–Bhatia delicacy; layering chutney between the slices sets it apart from ordinary pakoras.
Where this recipe comes from
Recipe from Panja Khada by Bharat and Deepa Chachara.
See the original recipe and photos