Drone Pakoras Go Viral Amid Indo-Pak Tension; Recipe Inside
Image Credit: X: @TinyDhillon

In the midst of serious cross-border hostilities and drone strikes between India and Pakistan, a heartwarming trend has caught the attention of netizens nationwide. Emerging from Chandigarh, Retired Lieutenant General KJS Dhillon shared an image of drone pakoras on X. Pakoras being one of the staple tea-time snacks of Punjab resonated greatly across the country and has successfully lightened the tension. 

Captioned as "Drone Pakoras… new snack in the Air Defence Regiment. Jai Hind," the viral social media post quickly gathered more than 15K likes and 2K reshares. One of the comments on the post by the retired IPS officer, Gurinder Dhillon, reads, “All Punjabis are advised to start eating drone pakoras (Turkish-Chinese) dish or from now onwards to extend full support to the saviour Air Defence Regiment of India. We are proud of the Air Defence setup of the Indian Defence Forces. Let's make it more and more Robust.” 

If you too want to be a part of the patriotic banter online, here’s an easy recipe to make drone pakoras at home.

Viral Drone Pakora Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup besan
  • 1/4 cup rice flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ajwain
  • Salt to taste
  • Water, as needed
  • 200 grams of paneer
  • 100 grams Mozerella cheese
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • Oil for deep frying

Instructions:

  1. Start by making the filling. Chop the paneer and the mozzarella cheese into cubes, mix them with chaat masala, and set aside.
  2. Take another bowl to prepare the batter. Mix besan, rice flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ajwain, and salt.
  3. Gradually add water till you get the desired consistency.
  4. To give the pakoras the shape of a drone, take a piece of paneer and place a cube of mozzarella on the top. Cover the cheese cube with another piece of paneer, making it like a sandwich.
  5. Dip this sandwich into the batter. Ensure the cubes are well-coated.
  6. To make the wings and arms of the drone, use chopped potatoes, cauliflower, and other veggies you have at home.
  7. Insert the arms and propellers into the paneer sandwich and dip it again into the batter.
  8. Heat some oil in a kadhai and deep fry the pakoras.
  9. Once the drone pakoras are golden brown on all sides, drain them on paper towels.
  10. Arrange the drone pakoras on a plate with your favourite chutney, click a picture, and be a part of the nationwide trend.