Ponk Vada | How to make Fresh Jowar Pakora

Ponk Vada or Pakoras made with fresh tender Jowar is a delightful snack made during the winter season when it is freshly available.

Ponk or fresh Jowar is perishable produce that doesn't stay good for long. It should be cooked within a short period or can be frozen. I haven't seen or heard about fresh jowar in Madras, so when Vaishali said it is available in her place, I asked for her to get it for me.

This was way back in February and this post has been lying in my draft for so long. I had plans for this post, yet something or the other came up, and finally, it helped me fix my theme for this week.

Cooking with fresh jowar is delicious

We are starting the 3rd week of BM#104 Sweets & Snacks and this week is our own choice. While I had so many ideas to pick, I finally settled with Vadas for the whole week. I will be doing traditional Indian Savories in Cooking 4 all Seasons and had a tough task deciding on a theme for this week in this space.

The first in the series of Vadas is this Ponk Vada, typically made in Gujarat when fresh tender Jowar is available. The whole concept of such fresh grains was new to me, even though we used to have Jowar and Bajra crops in our village. That was, of course, many years ago. However, I still remember checking those out when I was a kid.

I asked Amma if she had ever cooked with the fresh tender grains, she was surprised and pleasantly shocked to see these tender green ones. They taste slightly sweetish with a nutty aftertaste. It was superb handling it. When Vaishali gave it to me, I had shown it to Amma and we had a lengthy conversation on how it used to be during those years back in our paternal grandmom's village.

Anyway, this recipe came about when I saw this in Srujan's feed on Instagram. Her posts are always so captivating as her writing and I love reading them in detail. So when she was talking about Ponk Vada, I had to check it out. I almost made it sometime soon, yet had to wait for so long to write about it.

So I have a Ponk Vada, and if you are interested to know what traditional snack I have, check out Cooking 4 all Seasons.

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Week 1 - Sweets (Indian Traditional Sweets)

Arcot Makkan Peda for Day 1
Day 2 is Burhanpur Jalebi
Ghevar for Day 3
Day 4 is Motichoor Ladoo
Ghotua Ladoo for Day 5
Day 6 is Bandar Laddu

Week 2 - Snacks from the same State (Andhra)

Kara Sev for Day 1
Kobbari Chegodilu for Day 2
Day 3 is Karam Gavvalu
Garlic Kara Sev for Day 4
Day 5 is Venna Murukulu
Day 6 is Palakayalu

Step By Step Pictures to make Ponk Vada

Ponk Vada | How to make Fresh Jowar Pakora

How to make Ponk Vada

Wash and drain the ponk. Reserve 2 tbsp aside and take the rest in a mixer along with green chilies, garlic, and ginger.
Grind to a coarse paste along with the flours, salt, oil, lemon juice, pepper powder, sugar, and ajwain.
Mix everything together to a thick batter, the paste should be thicker than dropping consistency.
Heat oil in a Kadai, when ready to fry add a pinch of baking soda/ENO to the batter and add hot oil to the batter.
Drop a tbsp of batter into hot oil and deep fry on medium heat.
Cook till it cooks through and drains onto a kitchen towel.
Serve with a hot drink.

Recipe

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Ponk Vada | How to make Fresh Jowar Pakora

Ponk Vada or Pakoras made with fresh tender Jowar is a delightful snack made during the winter season when it is freshly available.

Course Appetizers & Starters

Keyword Ponk Recipes

By Cook Method Deep Fried

Occasion Evening Snack, Winter Recipes

By Diet Gluten Free, Kid Friendly

Dish Type Deep Fried Dishes, Millets

Author Srivalli

Ingredients

• 1 cup Jowar / Ponk, Tender ones
• 1/2 cup Onions
• 4 to 5 cloves Garlic
• 1 inch Ginger
• 2 to 3 nos Green Chillies
• 3 tbsp Rice Flour
• 3 tbsp Besan / Gram Flour
• 3 tbsp Jowar Flour
• 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 2 to 3 tsp Lemon
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp Carom Seeds / Ajwain

Instructions

• Wash and drain the ponk. Reserve 2 tbsp aside and take the rest in a mixer along with green chilies, garlic, and ginger.
• Grind to a coarse paste and the flours, salt, oil, lemon juice, pepper powder, sugar, and ajwain.
• Mix everything together to a thick batter, the paste should be thicker than dropping consistency.
• Heat oil in a Kadai, when ready to fry add a pinch of baking soda/eno to the batter and add hot oil to the batter.
• Drop a tbsp of batter into hot oil and deep fry on medium heat.
• Cook till it cooks through and drain on to a kitchen towel.
• Serve with a hot drink.

Tried this recipe?Mention @spicingyourlife_ or tag #spicingyourlife_!

I have featured the entire list that you can prepare for Diwali on both SYL and C4AS Sweets and Snacks & Sweets & Snacks for Diwali.