Pumpkin Flower Fritters/Kakharu Phoola BhajA
10 Pumpkin flowers
4 tablespoons raw rice (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes)
1 green chili
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Water (as needed to make batter)
Oil (for shallow frying)
Soak raw rice in water for 30 minutes.
Gently remove the central stigma from each pumpkin flower. Clean the flowers one by one, rinse them gently in water, and then dry them using a cloth or kitchen towel.
In a grinder jar, combine the soaked rice with green chili and cumin. Grind to a smooth batter, adding a little water to reach a medium consistency.
Pour the batter into a bowl, add salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder, and mix well. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
Grease a non-stick pan or tawa with one tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat.
Stir the batter again before use. If it's too thick, add one tablespoon of water and mix well.
Take one pumpkin flower and gently insert another flower inside it. Dip the paired flowers into the batter, shake off any excess, and place them on the hot pan. Repeat with the remaining flowers.
Drizzle one teaspoon of oil around the edges of the pan.
Cook for about 2 minutes until the flowers are crispy on one side, then flip carefully and cook the other side until both sides are crisp.
Transfer to a plate and serve.
Number of pieces: 5