Cauliflower Leaves /Stem Pakora ( fritters)

Are you wondering what cauliflower leaves look like?? Or may be where do we get cauliflower leaves from?? Where are they available??
Well, you don't have too far to look..
Remember, every time you bring home a head of cauliflower to cook, there are those green things that they sit on.. Those are cauliflower leaves. Yes, the very same ones that we remove and discard without any further thought. This recipe that I am bringing to you today is one that I learnt from my mother. My mother does not waste anything! Absolutely nothing! No sir. And that is what she has inculcated in us too.. I hope I can inculcate that in my children too.. The world would definitely a better place if we didn't waste so much! Again coming back to my mother... We are Konkanis which means that we belong to a community where we don't waste any part of any kind of produce as long as it is edible . We will find some way to use it.

This pakora is super simple to make and super delicious. It is pan-fried with just a little bit of oil. You can of course deep fry it if you wish. I never have. It comes out very nice when pan-fried. For an even healthier option, you can fry it in an appe pan. That comes out well too..

Servings: makes around 6-8 medium sized pakoras

Ingredients:

Leaves from one medium cauliflower head: roughly around 1 cup, chopped.
Rice flour: 1/4 cup( may not need all).
Onion: 1 small, chopped ( optional)
Chickpea flour( besan): 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Asofoetida: a pinch
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsp for frying

Method:

Wash the cauliflower leaves and tender part of the stems thoroughly. Finely chop it. Add it to a bowl.

To this add chopped onion (if you wish), chick pea flour, chili powder, salt, Asofoetida and just enough rice flour to bind the mixture together into a ball.

Do NOT add water while mixing. After mixing well, using wet hands, pinch a lemon-sized part of the mixture and shape it into a pattie.

Place it on a plate. Make such patties with all the rest of the mixture.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan/skillet on medium heat. Add the patties to the skillet and cook on low-medium flame until it begins to turn golden brown, around 4-5 mins.

Flip them all and cook on the other side for another 3-4 mins. It should be slightly on the crisp side.

Serve hot with rice and dal/rasam or eat it just like that with coriander/mint chutney.

Enjoy. I am bringing this to Throwback Thursday, Fiesta Friday # 89 and Saucy Saturdays.

Cooking made easy:

You can make this pakora with most leafy greens. The trick to making this is not adding water. Greens when chopped and salt is added, give out water. This helps moisten the dough. If we add more water, we will not be able to shape the dough.

Tip for Healthy living:

Eating greens is a great way to get several essential nutrients into your body.Green leafy vegetables are not only a great source of iron, folate, vitamins K , it is also a great source of calcium!They provide the much needed dietary fiber and help prevent/control conditions like diabetes, blood pressure, obesity and high-cholesterol.

References:

http://www.joybauer.com/food-articles/leafy-green-vegetables.aspx
http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/leafy-greens-rated
http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/benefits-of-green-leafy-vegetables.php