EVENT: FOODIES_REDOING OLD POSTS
RECIPE: CABBAGE PAKORA | KOBI NA BHAJIA
Cabbage Pakora | Kobi Na Bhajia are so easy to make, crispy on the outside and soft and spongy inside. Just a few simple ingredients and this hot snack comes together in a matter of minutes. Enjoy them piping hot with your favourite chutney and some masala tea.
What is Pakora or Bhajia?
They simply are deep fried dumplings or fritters which are made from flour and spices. Sometimes vegetables are added to them. Also bhajia of fritters are made from soaked lentils (dals), ground to a coarse paste. Also known as bhaji they are usually enjoyed hot with a chutney of choice along with some spicy masala tea or coffee. Most homes enjoy hot bhajias when it is cold or during the rainy season.
What Is Kobi?
Kobi is the Gujarati word for cabbage. In Hindi it is known as patta gobi.
Memories – A Tribute To Dada
It exactly one year since Dada, my father in law passed on. We miss him in every step of our lives. But he has taught us quite a few lessons which help us to walk through life. Dada’s humble beginning as a farmer’s son made him what he was, a humble, kindhearted and benevolent person. He always liked to help others be it through social clubs, the temples or friends. Being a simple man with simple needs, little gestures pleased him the most. Especially, loved feeding the destitute through food for life programs and the bramacharis of the ISKCON movement. A satiated look on the faces of the bramacharis or the less fortunate made him happy.
As much as he loved feeding others, he loved food himself. Though he never learned how to make a cup of tea or heat up some milk, he knew what would be missing from a cooked dish and loved a good balance of taste. For him it had to be a bit of salt, a wee bit more of chillis and generous amount of sugar. For him that was a perfect balanced taste to any dish. Dinners and lunches for friends and relatives was a big affair for us at home. Also he would get involved in planning the menu with my mother in law and me. Actually, he knew what would go well with what dish. Certainly was happy to help out by going to the market for shopping and don’t forget the tasting.
His Favourite Dishes
With his love of food, there is not one dish that I can think of that he didn’t like. As a quick snack, his all time favourite were hot piping bhajias. He would ask us to make potato ones, with cabbage, eggplant, fresh ajwain leaves, just plain methi gota, etc. He would have a bad cough but would demand bhajias from my mother in law.
What I Am Making In His Memory
So today I made some cabbage bhajias in his remembrance. I had watched my mother in law make them a zillion times but never bothered to actually make them myself. Nobody can make bhajias like her but what I made today didn’t turn out too bad. Remembering to include all the tips that she has given me to make soft bhajias.
Tips To Make Soft Spongy Bhajia
- Chop or grate the vegetables finely.
- Mix the batter very well. Literally, give it a good whisk, that is arm exercise!
- Add hot oil to the whisked batter.
- Add a bit of baking soda or Eno to the batter just before deep frying.
- Don’t make the batter too soft or too hard.
- Add a bit of yogurt.
What To Serve Cabbage Pakora | Kobi Na Bhajia With
When the kids were younger they preferred the bhajia with ketchup. Adults loved it with green, date tamarind or lasan chutney.
Try it with Garlic And Tomato Chutney.
THE GROUP – FOODIES_REDOING OLD POSTS
This group started by Renu who blogs at Cook With Renu, helps us to redo old posts, be it with photos, writing or eve updated versions of the recipe.
Yesterday, was that kind of a day, dull, grey and rainy. To perk up our moods, I decided to make some cabbage pakoras. While the oil was getting hot over low heat, grated the cabbage and fenugreek. Mixed the batter and hey presto hot bhajias were ready within 20 minutes. As my old photo of cabbage pakora | kobi na bhajia was utterly horrible, I decided to also update this post. Can’t blame me, back in 2013, didn’t know anything about good lighting and presentation of a dish. Over time have improved in those areas, but still there is so much more to learn.
First published on 02/04/2013, updated on 15/04/2022
Some More Bhajia | Pakora Recipes On My Blog
Try out Ambode or Masala Vada. So delicious with some filtered coffee, it is a famous street food in Karnataka, India.
Give Panchmel Bhajia or Vada with some coconut chutney. This recipe calls for 5 different lentils.
Make Rice Vada using leftover cooked rice. While you can deep fry them, I like to make them in an appe pan.
Ingredients Required For Cabbage Pakora | Kobi Na Bhajia
- Cabbage – finely chopped or shredded
- Fresh Fenugreek – washed, dried and finely chopped. Can replace it with chopped coriander or spinach.
- Onion – peeled and finely chopped. Can use any red, white or yellow. If you don’t want to add onion, can replace it with grated carrot or finely chopped capsicum.
- Green Chilli – minced or finely chopped. Add according to your taste.
- Ginger – minced.
- Chickpea Flour – chana no lot, chane ka atta, Besan. Easily available in all Indian Stores.
- Semolina – preferably fine. But can use any you have in your pantry. Semolina makes the bhajia or pakora a bit crispy on the outside.
- Water – add little by little. You don’t want a watery batter.
- Yogurt – plain. For a vegan version add vegan yogurt or omit it. Simply increase the amount of lemon juice you add.
- Carom Seeds – ajwain, ajmo. Lightly crush between your palms before adding to the batter.
- Turmeric Powder – haldi, hardar.
- Red Chilli Powder – add according to your taste.
- Salt – add according to your taste.
- Sugar – add according to your taste or omit it.
- Lemon Juice – add more if you are not using yogurt.
- Baking Soda Or Eno – add just before you are about to make the pakora. It makes them more soft.
- Oil – need hot oil to add to the batter. And extra for deep frying.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE CABBAGE PAKORA | KOBI NA BHAJIA
CABBAGE PAKORA | KOBI NA BHAJIA
Ingredients
- 1 cup cabbage finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh fenugreek finely chopped
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- ½ cup semolina
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp green chilli paste or 2 chillis finely chopped
- ½ tsp carom seeds
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp plain yogurt thick
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp hot oil
- ⅛ tsp baking soda or Eno
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Chop fresh cabbage finely or shred it using a mandolin.
- Add all the ingredients except for 1 tbsp hot oil and baking soda to the cabbage and mix well.
- Heat oil in a wok, frying pan or karai over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot drop a bit of the batter into the oil. If it comes up immediately, the oil is ready.
- Add 1 tbsp of the hot oil and baking soda into the batter. Mix well using a spoon.
- Pick about a teaspoonful of the batter with your four fingers and using your thumb slide it into the hot oil gently. Repeat till you have 6 to 8 bhajias or pakoras in the oil.
- If you can't use your fingers to drop the batter into the hot oil, then use two spoons. Scoop up with one and with the other slide the batter it into the hot oil. Check out the video.
- Lower the heat and fry the bhajias, turning them around frequently till they are golden brown in colour.
- Remove them into a colander using a slotted spoon.
- Increase the heat to medium and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve hot bhajias with your favourite chutney , chilli sauce or tomato ketchup.
Notes
- Replace the onion with chopped capsicum.
- Use fresh coriander or spinach instead of fenugreek .
- Adjust the taste of chillis according to your preference.
- Add water to the batter as required. If the yogurt is thick, you will need the mentioned quantity. If yogurt is watery you may need less.
- Don't allow the batter to rest, make the bhajia or pakora immediately. If you allow it to rest, the vegetables will give out water, making the batter too soft.
PIN FOR LATER:
A little request:
- If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
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