Fried and tested

New-fangled fried foods have invaded Mumbai, just in time for the monsoons. Give pakoras a pass for these.
What is scalding one moment, nippy in the other and makes us crave oily food? Mumbai’s moody weather. Two weeks ago we were thinking of unique ways of hydration and this week chai and kanda bhajiyas are the order of the day. We suggest you ditch the customary pakoras and go for these international fried foods.
Inarizushi, tempura origin: Japanese
Inarizushi stands for fried sushi. Sheets of thin tofu skin or aburaage are deep-fried and then cooked in sweet soy sauce. The sheets are stuffed with sticky vinegar-flavoured rice and packed into pockets. The parcels are predominantly sweet with an elusive touch of umami.
Tempuras are like pakoras, only much lighter. It’s traditionally made by dipping fish or vegetable in batter. Vegetarian options include sweet potatoes, carrots, okra, zucchini and baby corn. For non-vegetarians there is prawn and sea bass.
Available at: Sushi & More, Breach Candy; Trikaya, Andheri; Koh, Marine Drive
Santa Fe spring rolls origin: Mexican
A popular dish from Santa Fe in Mexico is growing in popularity among Mumbaikars. The roll uses pastry sheets made of refined flour, water and seasoning to wrap together cheddar cheese, black beans, vegetables and chicken. It resembles a fat cigar. The light-brown crispies are spicy and crunchy and work best when topped with hot tomato sauce, guacamole, yellow mustard and mayonnaise.
Available at: Hard Rock Cafe and California Pizza Kitchen at Lower Parel
Churros origin: Spanish
Mumbai’s latest dessert fad is churros. Also known as Spanish doughnut, churros are made in a churrera (section of the kitchen) using flour, water and yeast. The raw material is passed through a syringe with a starshaped nozzle, much like a chakli. The result is long, ridged pipes that are deep fried in cotton seed oil and served with melted chocolate. Traditionally, churros are dusted with powdered cinnamon and sugar before serving.
Available at: San Churros at Bandra (West) and Breach Candy, Cafe Prato at Lower Parel (in July and August only)
New Orleans beignets origin: American
A bumpy piece of dough with a French sounding name is beignet. To make these fritters, flour, yeast and sugar are mixed into a dough. The mass is cut into squares and fried until puffy, à la shakkarpara. The hot dessert is then dusted with powdered sugar and eaten with vanilla custard and maple syrup. Traditionally, chefs like to fill beignets with chopped fruits before frying. In Mumbai, only the plain version is available.
Available at: 212 Bar and Grill at Worli
Recipe: Prawn tempura
Ingredients: 5 prawns, 100 gms tempura flour (available at gourmet food stores), 75 ml iced water, oil to fry.
Method: Clean and devein prawns, keeping the tail intact. Place them upside down and slit the veins. Pat the prawns straight using fingers and dust with little tempura flour. In a bowl, mix iced water with the remaining tempura flour. The traditional technique of mixing both these ingredients is with the help of chopsticks. Chopsticks create bubbles which gives the tempura a bubbly texture. To cook, dip one dusted prawn in the batter and fry individually until crispy. Serve hot.