Pakora Thongba

A Symphony of Flavors in a Bowl

Image: Nickita Khumukcham

Side Dish

Vegetarian

Kanglei

Curry

One Pan

Spicy

Pakora Thongba

Monday, November 13, 2023 By : Lukthel / Source / Credit Link :

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A Symphony of Flavors in a Bowl

18 Ingredients
40 Mins
4 People

"Manipuri Pakora Thongba" is a culinary delight that combines the comforting warmth of cooking, a traditional Manipuri stew, with the crispy goodness of pakoras. This dish showcases the creative fusion of textures and flavors, creating a symphony for the taste buds.

In the heart of Pakora Thongba are the pakoras—deep-fried fritters made from a delightful medley of ingredients. Commonly, these pakoras are crafted from gram flour, seasoned with aromatic spices, and studded with vegetables or bits of meat. The result is a crispy exterior that gives way to a flavorful, savory interior.

These golden pakoras take a transformative dip into Manipuri art of cooking, a stew that forms the soul of Manipuri cuisine. Manipuri cooking typically features a broth made from aromatic herbs, spices, and sometimes coconut milk, creating a rich and fragrant base. The pakoras, absorbing the essence of the stew, become infused with the savory goodness of the broth while maintaining their crispy integrity.

The combination of the tender cooking broth and the crispiness of the pakoras creates a harmonious balance, offering a unique culinary experience. This dish is often enjoyed with steamed rice, allowing the pakoras to soak up the flavorful stew, creating a symphony of tastes and textures with each spoonful.

Manipuri Pakora Thongba is not just a dish; it's a celebration of contrasts. The contrast between the crispiness of the pakoras and the comforting warmth of the Henjang (curry) mirrors the rich cultural tapestry of Manipur itself. It's a dish that showcases the ingenuity of Manipuri cuisine, where traditional elements are creatively reimagined to produce something entirely new and delicious.

Pakora Thongba

Preparation Time
10 minutes

Cook Time
30 minutes

Total Time
40 minutes

Servings
4 servings

Ingredients
18 ingredients

Directions
5 steps

Ingredients

Primary

	1 handful - Kenaf leaves
	150g - Gram flour
	1 tbsp, fine chopped - Garlic
	1 medium size - Onion
	1 tbsp - Cumin powder
	1 tbsp - Coriander powder
	1 tsp - Citrus latipes
	8 tbsp - Oil
	10 leaves - Cilantro leaves
	1 tsp - Red Chlli powder
	1 tsp, finely chopped - Ginger
	To taste - Salt
	1 tsp - Turmeric powder
	5 pieces - Green chilli
	1/3 tsp - Asafoetida
	1 handful, chopped - Chinese chives
	1 medium size - Tomato
	1/2 cup - Dry Yellow Pea Soak in water overnight or 6 to 8 hours

Directions

1 Battering
Take a bowl and pour the gram flour, add one third of red chilli powder, add one third of turmeric powder, chopped ginger, chopped green chilli, half of the cilantro leaves with chopped, chinese chives, half of the coriander seed powder, salt and water. Mix it altogether and make a thicken consistency of water, the batter will be little thick as compared to the batter we make for pakora/ bora.
2 Frying the batter and pea
Take a pan and heat 5 tbsp of oil, when the oil is hot deep fry the batter by making it into round shaped like structure. It may produce 10-12 pieces. Fry it for about 8-10 minutes and take out all the pakora onto a bowl. Now add the soaked yellow peas and fry it for 3-4 minutes and take out.
3 Cooking
Take another pan and heat 3 tbsp of oil till smoking, add chopped onions, garlic, asafetida, ginger, coriander powder, cumin powder and stir until the onions become golden brown. Add the remaining turmeric powder and stir well. If tomato is included the chop it into small pieces and add it to the pan and fry for 5 minutes. Now pour 1 and 1/2 cups of water and bring it to boil.
4 Making The Curry
When the curry starts boiling put the kenaf leaves and let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Now add the fried pokara and fried yellow pea let it be in the curry so that the pakora becomes soft from inside too.
5 Garnishing
Add chopped Citrus latipes and let it boil for 3 minutes. Garnish with Coriander leaves, turn off the heat and the dish is ready to serve.