Ham recently went on a trip to New Orleans and returned with a stack of vintage cookbooks and a restored vintage 8-inch Griswold cast iron skillet—the perfect size for frying for two. My mom always had a small skillet of oil chilling on her back burner for everyday frying. She didn't need a special occasion or even a weekend to heat it up. Fried foods are common throughout South Asia, from snacks like samosas, breads like bhatura, and even desserts like jalebi (baby!). I want to embrace my culture by frying more (because I just can't get into Bollywood). This new skillet has inspired me, so I plan to keep it filled with oil and ready to go. Don't worry; I'll keep you posted on all my fry-ventures.
But first, here are my frying basics:
What fat do I fry in?
I prefer to fry in refined coconut oil, lard, tallow, ghee, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or safflower oil. These fats will cost more upfront than vegetable or canola oil. However, if the fat never heats up enough to smoke, you can strain and reuse these higher-quality fats (almost) indefinitely, saving money in the long run. Canola and vegetable oil quickly break down, even at lower temperatures, leaving your foods greasy and with an off taste by the second fry session.
What to do with the fat after frying?
After frying wrapped items (like a samosa or egg roll), bread, or batter-dipped items, the fat is typically clean enough to skip straining. Any random bits left floating in the fat can be scooped out with a slotted spoon. For breaded items, loose crumbs inevitably end up in the fat, so the fat will need to be strained. Once the fat is cool enough to handle, I'll pass it through a strainer lined with a coffee filter. Then that strained fat can go on to fry another day (usually, it will need to be topped off with fresh oil).
How to dispose of old fat?
What if the fat gets too hot, or too dirty, or you just want to start fresh? Never pour old oil down the drain! Instead, I save the container it came in, use a funnel to pour it back into that container, then throw the whole thing in the trash.
Fry safely!
Whether frying in a skillet like me or a big Dutch oven, be sure not to overfill the pan. Once you add food to hot fat, it will bubble up, so make sure you leave room for all that action to happen. The wetter the food you're frying, the more vigorous the bubbling.
Gently drop the food into the hot oil from just above the fat so it doesn't splash back on you. Hot fat can be scary, but you're more likely to get hurt if you plop something into it from high up. If getting that close with your fingers makes you uncomfortable, use tongs instead.
Keep an eye on the oil temperature with a digital or analog thermometer. If the fat isn't hot enough, fried foods will be greasy, but if it's too hot, the fat will first smoke before eventually bursting into flames. If this does happen, stay calm. Turn off the heat and smother the fire with a lid or sheet tray.
You're totally ready to fry now! This okra pakora is good, but the chaat masala yogurt ranch is great. If you don't want to fry, make the ranch and drizzle it over sliced ripe tomatoes. I'll be putting this dressing on everything.
Okra Pakora
snacks for 4
Letting the okra and salt sit while you prepare the batter and heat up the oil gives the salt a chance to pull the slime out of the okra, helping the batter stick. If you don't have or like okra, try with batter with any vegetables, like thinly sliced eggplant, shishito peppers, or zucchini coins.
1 pint fresh okra (about 185 grams)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more
½ teaspoon ground turmeric, divided
½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, divided
½ cup chickpea flour
¼ cup stone ground rice flour
½ cup water
fat for frying (see above for options)
chaat masala yogurt ranch to serve (see below)
Set a wire rack into a sheet tray and line with paper towels.
Wash and dry the okra, then cut in half (or if very large, into quarters) lengthwise. In a medium bowl, toss the okra with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the pakora batter: whisk together the chickpea flour, rice flour, and the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon. Add the water and whisk until the mixture comes together into a thick and smooth batter.
In a small or medium skillet with high sides, add enough fat to fill the skillet a 1-inch high layer. Heat on medium-high until between 350F to 375F (177C to 191C). Adjust the temperature throughout frying to stay within this range.
Add the okra to the batter and use your hands to roughly coat the okra with the batter (it will be very sticky). Use your hands to add one piece of coated okra to the oil at a time. Fry about 6 to 8 pieces of okra at a time until deeply browned and crisp.
Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the okra to the prepared sheet tray to drain. Season with kosher salt. Repeat with remaining okra. Serve hot with chaat masala yogurt ranch for dipping.
Chaat Masala Yogurt Ranch
Makes ¾ cup dressing (you'll probably want to triple this)
I like ranch. I like chaat. Together, with their powers combined, this is one of the best things in the world.
¼ cup whole milk yogurt
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ cup fresh dill tender leaves & stems, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon chaat masala
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
kosher salt, to taste
In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, buttermilk, and mayonnaise until smooth.
Add dill, chives, lemon juice, chaat masala, sugar, onion powder, and garlic powder, whisking until evenly combined. Taste and add salt as needed.
See ya next time!
sohla
So good! Sohla don't miss.