Looking For A Healthy Summer Snack? Try This Poi Saag Pakora Recipe At Home – News18

Winter season means a platter full of green leafy vegetables and bright-coloured fruits. Only a handful of vegetables are found in summer. Despite this, there is one particular leafy vegetable that is a must-have during summer and is excellent for health. We are talking about Poi Saag aka Malabar Spinach. It is a powerhouse of iron and is a great source of protein. Due to its various benefits, it is a must add to your daily diet during this season.

Poi Saag resembles our good-old spinach, but it has more nutrients and vitamins in it. This green leafy vegetable also aids in constipation. Eating this will rejuvenate the body in this sweltering summer. Poi Saag is quite famous in many areas of West Bengal. Apart from cooking it into a sabzi, you can also make fritters (pakoras) out of it which make for a great appetiser.

Here is a quick and simple recipe to make Poi Saag pakora:

 To make this recipe, you will need 250 gm poi saag leaves, 100 gm gram flour (besan), 50 gm rice flour, salt, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp green chillies paste, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 chilli powder, 1/4 turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper powder and oil for deep frying.

Recipe:

• Wash poi saag under running water and chop it into small pieces.

• Take a bowl and add besan, rice flour, ginger and chilli paste, salt, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and black pepper powder. Give it a good whisk and add a few drops of water to make a thick batter. To this, add the chopped vegetables as well.

• Take a frying pan and add oil to it.

• Make sure it is on medium heat and gradually start adding the batter to the oil.

• Deep fry the pakoras until both sides turn golden brown.

• Serve these hot with green chutney or tamarind or ketchup.

Reasons you should have Malabar spinach:

• It is packed with iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins A, and C and proteins.

• Due to the presence of beta-carotene and lutein, it is excellent for the health of the eyes and great for the skin.

• It boosts immunity. It also helps against iron deficiency.

• Keeps the body cool in the summer and helps one get relaxing sleep. Those who suffer from insomnia can add it to their diet. The zinc content helps in offering proper sleep.

• Alleviates constipation problems by adding bulk to the stool.

• Reduces the bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the body.

• Magnesium and calcium help in strengthening the bones. It also offers relief from Arthritis pain.