Onion - Cilantro Fritters with Puffed Rice

10th October 2014: It has been raining all day. Dark, gloomy, depressing, sunless, dismal, dreary, cheerless... okay I am running out of words now, but I am guessing that you get the point. Days like these can only be brightened by food - food that falls into the fried category or the dessert category. Nothing else. To make things worse, all morning I have been thinking of street food of Kolkata. That put me in 'depths of despair'. I made plans to go to IKEA and drown my sorrows in a cup of coffee and an assortment of the scrumptious desserts, especially the almond torte! But the incessant rain jeopardized my plans and instead we stayed home gorged on some onion-cilantro fritters and puffed rice with our evening cuppa. 

I have made Cilantro fritters before, which uses more cilantro and mostly All Purpose Flour (Maida). This version has chickpea flour (besan) and just a tablespoon of cilantro. 

Ingredients: 

• Besan (Chickpea Flour) - 1/4 Cup
• Flour - 1/4 Cup
• Baking Soda - 1 tsp
• Chaat Masala - 1 tsp
• Ground Cumin  - 1/2 tsp
• Ground Coriander - 1/2 tsp
• Onions - 1 medium, thinly sliced
• Cilantro - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Green Chilies - 1 or 2, finely chopped 
• Salt to taste
• Water - enough to make a thick-ish batter.
• Oil - enough for frying

In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except water. Now add water little by little to made thick-ish batter - so that the onion slices stick together. 

Heat oil in a pan on medium high. Using two spoons drop dollops of batter into the hot oil. It will sizzle and then start turning golden brown. Flip it carefully and fry till golden brown. Drain excess oil on a paper towel and serve hot.