What can force me to add lettuce leaves to pakoda? Okay, before I talk about that I would say the importance of mixed veg pakoda on Holi. Ehhh!! What do you say? Is there no relation between Holi & pakoda? Is it true? Can Holi be more enjoyable without veg pakoda & thandai?
Too many questions asked!!! Now it is time for answers. Right?
Holi is a very special Hindu festival which includes many joyful activities. People spread color to others, they paint others with various colors. They walk, they run, they laugh, they meet other people, they paint other’s face, they spread color all over the area and finally they feel hungry and thirsty.
So you will need some snacks and a drink. Pakoda is the most common & popular snack what everybody can enjoy. That is why mostly pakoda & thandai are served in the morning when people play Holi. Thandai is such a drink what is refreshing as well as it gives instant energy too.
Also read: Best Holi festival food menu, Homemade thandai drink for summer days
But why did it force me to add lettuce leaves to mixed veg pakoda?
Actually, this year, I have grown many lettuce plants and almost every week I am harvesting lettuce leaves for two times. In the first batch what I sowed in October 2019, gave me a lot of lettuce leaves for 6-7 weeks continuously.
Then I sowed a few lettuce seeds again in late January 2020. This time I have grown around 17-18 plants in 13 pots. I harvested a few plants and now collecting enough leaves twice a week. But I am facing difficulties to consume those. Secondly, the summer season is coming, so within 2 weeks temperature will be so high that my lettuce plants can not survive.
Usually, I prefer to add palak (spinach) leaves to pakoda but this year, I could not stop myself to add lettuce leaves to pakoda. But thankfully I enjoyed this Holi special mixed veg pakoda better than any other veg pakoda. It was really very delicious.
Mixed veg pakoda recipe
- 1 lettuce plant head, cut leaves into small pieces
- 2 medium-size onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium-size potato, grated
- ½ cup besan, gram flour
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon water (or more if needed)
- 2 tablespoons oil for frying
- Pinches of chaat masala, optional
- Take one lettuce plant and separate its leaves, wash it under running water and chopped into small pieces
- Cut onion into small pieces and grate one medium-size raw potato
- Now collect all lettuce pieces, chopped onion and grated potato in a bowl
- Add besan (gram flour), salt, turmeric powder and little water to it and mix
- Heat oil in a cooking pot (kadai) and take a small amount of the mixture from the bowl and fry it in oil
- Now you fried all mixed veg pakoda then spread chaat masala over those & serve
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