Healthy quick snack

First flurries of this season drizzling outside and I am feeling chilly and cold inside. Wanted to munch something hot to warm up myself from the cold. The first thing came to mind are Pakodas.

Sometimes if it is raining, my mom will make crunchy hot fried items like Pakodas, Bhajjis and Vathal. We all sit and enjoy eating under soft glow of candle light, this is because of the Power cut in India. As you all know if its electricity department see a lightning or a thunder they will switch off the power. Oh God, when this is going to change in India?

Now coming to my story, I wanted to eat hot crunchy pakodas at the same time I wanted it to be healthy. This again because of the spark from the sudden flash on Sunday. Didn't you read that yet, click here to know more about it.

I baked the pakodas, which I tried from Trendy Relish. To make little more healthier I added some vegetables in it. The recipe is very simple and easy. Hardly I spent 10 minutes to prepare and 20 to 25 min for baking.

Ingredients : 1cup -- Chickpea/Besan Flour 3 tbsp -- Rice Flour I no -- Medium size onion 1 cup -- cut vegetables** 2 no -- Green chillies Salt as per taste Oil ** I used some green and orange bell peppers, Cabbage. I stopped using baking powder for this, as this is baking well for me. But in the actual recipe they used 3/4tsp of baking powder. So the choice is yours. Method : --- Preheat the oven to 400 F --- Mix the dry ingredients well. --- Add cut vegetables, green chillies and onions to the dry mixture . --- To the mixture add 2 tsp of oil. Oil will give some crisp effect to the pakodas. You can very will omit this. --- Add water little by little to the mixture, until everything binds well. If its little watery no problem, add some more flour and adjust. --- Line the cookie sheet with Parchment paper, otherwise the batter will stick into it. I spoiled one cookie sheet like this. Experience talk :)) --- On the sheet, take the batter in small portions and arrange them. No need to give more space in between each uncooked pakodas, since its not going to expand like cookies. But make sure they are not touching each other, --- Using pastry brush, brush some oil on the uncooked pakodas. This is get a nice golden brown color on the pakodas --- Bake it in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. After 10 minutes, take the sheet out and turn the pakodas and brush some oil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. --- After 15 minutes healthy crunchy snack is ready to serve.

This is one of the best way to make kids to eat vegetables.