Maharashtrian Steamed and Pan-Fried Coriander Fritters

What you need

• 35 g (1/4 cup) raw peanuts
• 100 g (2 cups) fresh coriander leaves, washed, dried and finely chopped, soft stems included
• 100 g (1 cup) chickpea flour, besan
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp garlic, grated
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 pinch asafoetida, optional
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) water, for the batter, added gradually
• 3 tbsp oil, plus a little for greasing the pan

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Dry-roast the peanuts in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until crunchy and spotted brown, 4-5 min. Cool, rub off the skins and grind to a coarse powder.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, combine the coriander with the ginger, garlic, chillies, turmeric, red chilli powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, asafoetida, sesame seeds, sugar and salt.

3. 3

   Stir in the ground peanuts and the chickpea flour.

4. 4

   Add the water a little at a time, mixing until you have a thick, sticky batter that holds its shape on a spoon. Add only as much water as it needs.

5. 5

   Grease a round steel plate or tin about 18 cm (7 in) wide and spread the batter in an even layer about 1.5 cm (1/2 in) thick.

6. 6

   Set a rack or upturned bowl in a large pot with 3 cm (1 in) of water. Bring the water to a boil, lower the plate onto the rack, cover and steam over medium-low heat until a toothpick comes out clean, 15-20 min.

7. 7

   Cool the steamed slab for 10-15 min. Loosen the edges with a knife, turn it out onto a board and cut into squares or diamonds.

8. 8

   Heat the oil in a wide non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry the pieces in batches until golden and crisp on all sides, turning them 3-4 times, 8-10 min per batch.

9. 9

   Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Imported from vegrecipesofindia.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.