Monday, September 10, 2007

Pazham Pori (Plantain Fritters)

Pazham Pori also called Ethakkappam (Plantain Fritters), is a very popular snack in Kerala made using ripe plantains. ( This is what Keralites call Nenthrappazham/Kerala banana)

This has been one of my all time favorites. It is very simple to prepare yet so very tasty. It was the perfect accompaniment to our Saturday-evening tea.
Here’s how I made it.

Ingredients:
3 ripe plantains (Halve each plantain and make 3-4 slices from each half)
Oil for deep frying
For the batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup rice flour
Sugar (add depending on sweetness of the plantain)
½ tsp baking soda
A pinch or two of cardamom powder
Salt to taste
Mix everything in water to form a thick batter that coats each slice really well.

Method:
Heat the oil for frying.
Drop about three to four pieces of batter-coated plantain into hot oil, one at a time. Proceed to fry the rest in four or five batches.( If you put in too many pieces at a time, it decreases the temperature of the oil & it takes longer to fry & the plantains will absorb more oil than they normally would)
Fry till golden brown. (This should take less than a minute if the oil is at the correct temperature)

Drain off the excess oil on paper towels.

Serve hot with tea.

This is being sent to Mandira of
Ahaar who is hosting JFI: Banana.
This is also my entry for “
What’s your favorite snack?” - an event being hosted by Hima of SnackORama.




Onion Bhajjis(fritters)
I had some batter left over after making the plantain fritters, so I went ahead and made some onion bhajjis too.

I just peeled and halved an onion and used a mandoline to get thin slices from each half, mixed it into the batter and fried it till golden brown.


Note: I would normally use chickpea flour (besan) to make the batter for this kind of pakoda, and spice it up with some green chillies or chilli powder.

42 Burps:

Seena said...

Tbc,
was thinking to post this..:(
My version is little different..very good pic..

Anonymous said...

stacked so beautifully :). love that perfect brown colour.

sk said...

wow...what a great looking snap tbc......I bet they must be very tasty :-)

Laavanya said...

TBC, that looks really good. I love pazham pori

Mandira said...

this looks delicious. I remember eating it on one of our train journeys through Kerala. Thank you for your entry :)

Kribha said...

This is one of my favs. Used to have it in my childhood. Wish to have a bite right now. Beautiful picture.

FH said...

TBC,guess what I made for snack yesterday!! :D
But I made it with green plantains, not ripe. Looks delicious,great entry.Mine will be similar too!:))

Padma said...

Like mind thinks alike, even I was planning to make this for the same event...nice pics n post

Namratha said...

This looks absolutely delicioussssssss!! Now you have me drooling...pls oh pls send me some!! Great entry for JFI :)

Rajitha said...

TBC.. those look lovely...crisp and delicious looking...unfortunately not a fan of nenthranpazham...i know..my mom feels bad for me :(

Sreelu said...

TBC, Wow deep fried banana's reminds of fried icecream for some reason. must have been heavenly

Unknown said...

These look fantastic! I love plantains!!

TBC said...

Seena, thanks:-). I am waiting to see your version.


Lakshmi, thank you.
Perfect brown color & perfectly loaded with calories. Anyway, I don't make it very often so I guess it's alright:-)


Sirisha, it was really good & it can be made quickly. Do try it out sometime.

Laavanya, I do too.It reminds me a lot of our once in a year trips to Kerala. We always had this from the same little place on the side of the road on the way to my dad's ancestral home.Those were good times.


Mandira, thank YOU for doing this:-)

Kribha, thank you.


Asha, great minds DOthink alike! ;-). Waiting to see your version.


Padma, I gather there are a few here who plan to make this. It would be interesting to see the different versions.


Namratha, thanks:-)
You wanna come over? ;-)


Rajitha, what???? I feel bad too. Don't worry, I knew about it so I had your share too;-)

Sreelu, yeah... "deep fried love" as Manisha calls it. It was so good.
Fried ice cream? girl, you watch too much of that Paula Deen show!Isn't it bad enough that the banana's fried?

bee said...

simbbbbly gorgeous.

Richa said...

gorgeous looking fritters :)
yummmm

Cynthia said...

I just want to bite into one of those deliciously brown fritters.

Sig said...

oh wow, my favorite too... haven't had these in ages... looks very yummy, perfectly brown :)

Latha Narasimhan said...

Such a nice preparation TBC!!I have tasted once with nenthrampazham! Great entry for the event!

Raaga said...

Yummy!! We also make something with ripe nendrams... but I think its more a marinated thing than a batter fried thing.

:wipe: :wipe:

That was me wiping the drool!!

Menu Today said...

Hi TBC,
Beautiful picture!!!Easy recipe to make. Thanks for sharing.

TBC said...

Bee - lol:-)

Richa, thank you.


Cynthia, don't you make something very similar too?I think I saw something on your blog a long time back.


Sig, welcome to my blog:-)
thank you for stopping by.



Latha, thank you:-)



Raaga, how do u make it. Would like to hear your version too.
and lol :-)


MT, thanks for visiting:-)

Bhawna said...

HI Nice picture, Good recipe for JFI- Banana

Laavanya said...

TBC, good luck with the 2nd attempt of rava dosas... ensure that the pan is hot enough when you pour the batter... :) Let me know.

Kajal said...

Hi TBC,

This is new dish for me and I think this is very tasty dish and you work very well. Nice entry for both event rocking my dear....:)

Cris said...

Love this recipe! I need to try it sometime, we have something here that is similar, but it takes fine breadcrumbs, this one of yours must be sooo good!

Mansi said...

wow, ek teer se do shikaar:) nice one...I think I'll enjoy this banana dish...sounds simple enough, so will def give it a try!

TBC said...

Bhawna, thanks for stopping by:-)


Laavanya,thanks:-)


Kajal, try it out, u won't be disappointed


Cris, I would love to hear your recipe too. So u just dip it in a similar batter & coat it with bread crumbs?.Now that's something for me to think about for next time:-)


Mansi, yeah... so many events going around but not enough time. Do let me know how you like it. You need the ripest plantains u can find.

Finla said...

Hey How did i miss this entry.
Pazham pori is one of my favs. Used to eat them in heaps when i was home. Now just once a while as getting older it goes straight to my HIPS :-(((((

Cris said...

Oh it is so easy! You beat 1 or 2 eggs, dip the banana and then wrap the banana in the fine breadcrumbs and fry it! You can eat it with rice, beans and grilled meat or as a dessert, just sprinkle sugar and cinnamom, easy as that! I will make some and post it too. :-)

Viji said...

Inspite of being oily, it is lovely TBC. Viji

Prajusha said...

Tbc,
this is my all time favourite and was thinking of sending it to snackorama:)

Godzown said...

hey...been aiming for tat colour for my pazhamporis for sumtym..never happnd!:-)this looks so good!perfect...

Emi

TBC said...

Happy Cook, I know what you mean...a moment on my lips, forever on my hips!:-)


Cris,thank you so much for coming back & giving me the recipe.That's so sweet of you:-)



Viji,thnaks :-)Yes... that's why I hardly ever make anything fried.



Prajusha, you can still send yours, everybody makes it a little differently.:-)

Emi, welcome to my blog:)
Thnaks for the compliment. Do come back when u get a chance

Rachna said...

i had this in kerala, it was mind blowing.....

swapna susarla said...

Hi tbc
plantain fritters are my all time favorites.they goes lovely with onion ,lemon,salt and red chilly powder stuffung!!!oh my!!!i am imagining that i am tasting them!!!!!

TBC said...

Rachna, I like it a lot too. But I make this very rarely.

Swapna, onion, lemon ,chilly powder stuffing?...but that would be a completley different recipe. try my version ...you will love it:-)

Shella said...

Makes me wanna pick up one lovely pc right off the screen. I have seen a few payam pori recipes lately & I am really beginnign to crave for it, except I dont know if I can easily lay my hands on a ettapayam in Delhi

TBC said...

Shella, thank you for the compliment.
I don't think what I used was the " Kerala banana" either but it came pretty close to it. I have not found it in my area either:-(

SeeC said...

You are always very perfect. Picture tells how tasty it would be.

TBC said...

Seec, thank you, dear:-)You are so sweet!

Linda said...

Oh, they look so GOOD TBC! :):)

TBC said...

Thanks, Linda :-)

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