Wed, 22 November 2017
Pudas, or pudlas as they are known in northern India, are easy Indian-style vegetable pancakes.
RECIPE
FOR THE BASES
120g (1 cup) gram flour
. tsp cumin seeds
or ground cumin,
or more to taste
. tsp sea salt
pinch of asafoetida
(optional)
1 tsp nigella seeds
(optional)
1 tsp Dosha Churna Spice
Mix (see page 247;
optional)
175ml (. cup) water
115g (1 cup) shredded
courgette, carrot
or cucumber
1 tbsp coriander,
finely chopped
6 tsp melted coconut
oil or ghee
rocket and ricotta, to serve
FOR THE SAUCE
6 plum tomatoes, skinned
and deseeded
(see page 260)
3—4 garlic cloves,
roughly chopped
1 tsp balsamic vinegar,
plus more to taste
4 tsp sea salt
freshly ground
black pepper
3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
FOR THE BASIL
OLIVE OIL
leaves of 1 small bunch
of basil (about 30g)
75ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin
olive oil
pinch of sea salt
Method
1 To make the bases, mix the gram flour, cumin and
salt, asafoetida, nigella seeds and Dosha churna spice
mix (if using). Slowly add the water and whisk to
make a smooth batter. Add the grated courgette
and chopped coriander and mix well.
2 Place a ceramic-lined or seasoned cast-iron frying
pan on a medium–high heat. Test to see if it’s hot
enough by sprinkling a few drops of water on it
— the water should sizzle right away. Pour half of
the mixture onto the pan and spread quickly and
evenly with the back of a spoon. Starting from the
centre, spiral the batter evenly outwards to form
a 22cm (8. in) circle.
3 After about 6 minutes, the batter will have almost
cooked, so gently spread 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
over the top. Wait for about 30 seconds, then flip
the puda using a flat spatula. Press down lightly with
the spatula to help it to cook evenly. Turn the puda
three or four times for another 4—5 minutes, until
crisp and brown on both sides. Repeat for the
remaining puda and oil and set aside until you’re
ready to serve.
4 To make the basil oil, bend the basil with the olive oil.
This keeps for 3 days in the fridge, but make sure to
bring it to room temperature before use.
5 To make the sauce, roughly chop the tomatoes and
put them into a blender or food processor, adding
the garlic, vinegar, salt and black pepper. Blend until
smooth, and then add further seasoning to taste.
6 For a fresh pizza you can cook the sauce at this point
for about 8 minutes and then spoon a dollop onto your
pizza pudas, using the back of the spoon to smooth
it out. Pile on rocket and ricotta and drizzle with the
basil oil. Otherwise spread the raw sauce onto the
pizzas, top with your favourite ingredients, then pop
it into an oven, preheated to 180oC (fan 160oC/gas
mark 4) or under a hot grill and cook to your liking.