Ponk Vada Crunchy snack
Every January brings the season of freshly harvested Ponk or Sorghum. These crunchy fried snack is so delicious with some chutney and tea.
Ponk has a very small season and a smaller shelf life.
In the place where I grew up, Ponk as a fresh grain is celebrated widely. Temporary stalls come up and they sell ponk in various ways. People have day picnics on these little stalls or farms. Ponk is enjoyed along with other harvest foods. Festival of Makar Sakranti comes in January which is harvest festival.
Ponk is eaten with different flavors of sev, or as Ponk bhajiyas or vadas, and ponk bhel. Some people buy it and enjoy it at home in their own ways, people even have ponk parties. Apparently, people have ponk parties around one grain. Haha.
Besides ponk but many other dishes are celebrated during winter and enjoyed. Unfortunately, we do not find fresh ponk in USA because of its short shelf life. Do not be discouraged, though we do find frozen ponk that works just fine. It tastes exactly the way I remember it. It even comes with a packet of sev.
Moreover, I like to enjoy ponk as it is with some sev and drizzle of lemon juice as a snack or light lunch. Moreover, some people add some veggies and make bhel out of it. I am sure it tastes good that way too.
Another name for is Hurda in other parts of India.
Ponk Vada are a popular deep-fried snack around this time, and I thought what a wonderful idea to share this recipe with you all.
Ingredients used for Ponk Vadas
along with the main ingredient of this recipe that is ponk, there is chana dal. Chana dal gives it nice crunchy texture and helps bind ponk together into this recipe.
We have used a lot of greens which in my opinion adds extra flavors to the dish. You cannot miss out on it. Green garlic is easily available these days in Indian stores, I would highly recommend you pick it up when you get ponk too. Both green and white garlic is used in the recipe. Onions also add nice crunch and flavor to the overall dish.
Rest is seasonings in the form of dry spices, aromatics are a must in Indian recipes, so we have used ginger, garlic, green chilies add slight kick. Its not overall a spicy dish. You can add more chilies and make it spicier for personal taste.
If you ever visit India, are in Gujarat or Mumbai, do try fresh ponk and other delicacies. Now that we have moved so far away, I am inclined to talk about these foods and where it comes from. Ponk memories are etched in us.
Ponk Vadas
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Chana Dal
- 1 ½ Cup Fresh Ponk
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 cloves fresh green garlic or garlic
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 2 long green chilies
- 1 tsp coriander seeds coarsely crushed
- ¼ cup green garlic chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 scallion chopped
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour
- 2 tbsp rice flour or cornstarch
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Soak chana dal in water for 4-5 hours to soften it. Discard the water and add chana dal to food processor and add 1 cup ponk, along with garlic, ginger, green chilies, cumin seeds. Process everything in breaks until you get a coarse mixture.
- Add coriander seeds too and give it a pulse. I prefer to use mortar and pestle to grind coriander seeds coarsely.
- Add chopped green garlic, scallions, cilantro. More herbs the better it will taste. Also add chopped onions. Add dry seasonings too like garam masala, turmeric powder, black pepper, and salt. Give everything a thorough mix.
- The mixture will look crumbly and not cohesive. That’s okay. Do not be tempted to add any water. Add lemon juice, chickpea flour and rice flour. Give it another stir. Add remaining ½ cup of ponk kernels. It adds nice texture.
- The mixture should come together when you try to form a rough ball, but it should not be watery. You can add a tbsp more of flours. But do not end up adding too much. You should be able to taste chana dal and ponk.
- Put some oil in a deep pot for frying on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, fry these in batches until golden brown. Do not fry them on high heat, they might not cook from inside. The heat should be medium throughout.
Notes
- USA, we get frozen ponk throughout the year.
- Thaw ponk before putting it to use.
- You can adjust spice according to your taste.
- I even added some chopped green chilies for extra spicy. Do not skimp on the herbs. They add amazing flavors specially green garlic and cilantro.