Pattanam Pakoda Patnam Pakodi Medhu Pakoda

Pakoda or pakora are deep-fried flour-based fritters with or without vegetables, and they are one of the famous Indian snacks. This patinam pakoda is also known as medhu (soft) pakoda or Madras pakora or Madras pakoda. Madras is the old name of Chennai. While there are so many reasons and theories behind the name Chennai, one notable view is that the name Chennai came from Chennaipattanam. That fits perfectly, and now you know why we call this pakoda as pattanam pakoda or pattinam pakoda. I learned this recipe as part of the Indian Cooking Challenge, where we try the rare delicacies from all over India. This recipe is from one of the bloggers Padma, who learned this from her Grandma. And her Grandma got it from her sister, who was living in the then state of Madras Presidency. :-) You can find the base recipe in the Indian cooking challenge page. I did not deviate from the original recipe. So far, I have tried adding mint leaves or fennel seeds. That’s about it. But you can very well add finely chopped veggies like cabbage, spinach, carrot, etc. But do not add too much. Also, be cautious while adding water. Do not add all the water at once. Add little by little. I have given the exact measure that I used, but it might differ based on the brand, quality of the flour that you are using.

Flours used in this Pattanam Pakoda-

This pattanam pakoda uses three different flours – rice flour, chickpea flour, or besan or kadalai maavu as we say in Tamil and roasted gram flour or pottukadalai maavu. Don’t worry about the long list of ingredients or the flours. Trust me, folks; this pattanam pakoda is one of the easy pakoda recipes. It’s very forgiving. Just be cautious while adding water. Check the recipe notes for quick fixes. :-) For roasted gram flour, just grind ½ cup of the roasted gram/pottukadalai and set aside ¼ cup measure. PS – Roasted chickpeas are the split daliya, the one that we use for coconut chutney. It is also known as roasted gram, fried gram, etc. The roasted gram flour is different from besan, and I haven’t tried without that flour or using any substitutes. I will update this post when I do the same. Now without any further ado, here is the detailed pattanam pakoda recipe with step-wise pictures.

How to make medhu pakoda or pattanam pakoda?

In a mixing bowl, add the ghee and baking soda.

Using a hand whisk to mix them nicely until it is frothy and well combined. You can mix it with your hands too.

Now add the other ingredients as well – rice flour, roasted gram flour, besan, onion, ginger, green chili, cilantro, curry leaves, mint leaves, cumin seeds, salt, and red chili powder.

Mix them all.

Sprinkle water little by little and mix to form a soft yet firm dough. Add water as required. I used ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp. You need ⅓ to ½ cup for this measure.

Heat the oil for frying. Meanwhile, take a small portion of the dough and roll into small balls (small gooseberry size would do). Similarly, roll the balls with the remaining mixture and keep it ready for frying.

When the oil is hot, slowly drop the pakodas in batches and fry in medium heat till they turn golden brown and crisp.

Place the fried pakodas on a tissue paper to drain the excess oil.

Serve hot with chutney or sauce of your choice.

Recipe Notes-

The original recipe calls for 2 tbsp / 6 tsps of ghee and 1 tsp of baking soda, and I went with the same measure. You can reduce it to 1 tbsp, but I would not recommend reducing it further or using more. The pakoda might disintegrate while frying. Coming to that, while frying the first batch, if you notice the pakoda are disintegrating, then add one or two tbsp of rice flour, mix gently and fry again. Small cracks in the pakodas are perfectly fine. I used yellow onions. But red would be preferable. You can add ¼ cup of finely chopped vegetables like cabbage, carrot or spinach. Add water as required. Do not add all water at once. Add 1 tbsp at a time and mix the flour. Adjust salt and spices according to your preference.

If you like this medhu pakoda, then do check out my other snack recipes.

Zucchini pakora Adai batter pakoras Samosa Bhelpuri Panipuri

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