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Surti ponk vada
પોંકના વડા: crisp winter fritters of tender green sorghum, chilli and sesame from Surat
Every December and January, farms around Surat roast bundles of young green jowar heads over embers and thresh out ponk, soft, sweet, pale-green grains that last only a few weeks. Surtis turn the trip into a picnic, eating ponk by the handful with lemon-pepper sev and garlic chutney, then frying the leftovers into these crunchy vada. The grains are crushed coarsely with chilli and ginger, bound with a little gram and rice flour, and fried until the outside is lacy and crisp while the inside stays tender and grassy-sweet. Look for frozen ponk in Gujarati grocers outside the season. Chef's tip: crush the ponk only roughly; whole grains popping through the crust is what makes these vada special.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the vada
For frying
To serve
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Set aside 3 tbsp of whole 9 oz fresh or frozen ponk (tender green sorghum). Pulse the rest in a food processor with 1 tbsp green chilli and ginger paste and 3 garlic cloves 4–5 times, just until coarsely crushed; you want a rough, sticky mash with plenty of broken grains, not a paste.
Step 2: Tip into a bowl and add the reserved ponk, 1 ⅜ oz gram flour, 1 oz rice flour, 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, ½ oz fresh coriander, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground turmeric. Mix with your hand. It should hold together when squeezed; if it crumbles, add 1–2 tsp water; if it is sticky and wet, add a spoon more rice flour.
Step 3: Heat 2 ½ cups groundnut oil in a kadai over a medium heat to about 350°F, when a pinch of the mixture sizzles and rises slowly.
6 minStep 4: Wet your palms and shape lime-sized portions into rough flat discs about 1 cm thick. Common mistake: smoothing them neatly. Ragged edges are what turn lacy and crisp, so press them flat and leave them rough.
Step 5: Slide in 5–6 vada and fry for 5–6 minutes, turning once, until golden brown with darker crisp edges and the sizzling has quietened. Drain on kitchen paper and fry the rest.
14 minStep 6: Serve hot with 1 ¾ oz lemon-pepper sev and a little 3 tbsp red garlic chutney, the way they're eaten at a Surat ponk party.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does surti ponk vada take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of green chilli and ginger paste?
- Grated fresh ginger, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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