Vegetable Pakora Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk the besan, rice flour, salt, turmeric, ajwain seeds and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add the ginger, lemon juice and enough water (roughly 1/2 cup) to form a batter. (Consistency-wise, it should be slightly thinner than heavy cream.)
• Warm the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until it registers 375 degrees F on a thermometer. Set a cooling rack over a paper-towel lined baking sheet.
• Drop the onions, kale and cauliflower into the batter. Using tongs or your fingers, knock the excess batter off each piece before dropping into the hot oil. Fry in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry smaller, thinner vegetables like the onions and kale for 1 to 2 minutes. Fry the cauliflower for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove the pakoras from the hot oil using a spider. Set on the cooling rack, then quickly sprinkle with salt and the ground black lime. Eat hot!

Steps:

• For the green chutney: Combine the chilies, cilantro, garlic, ginger, mint, lime juice, sugar, cumin, 2 tablespoons water and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Season to taste with additional salt if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside. Makes: 3/4 cup.
• For the batter: Combine the chickpea flour, cilantro, ajwain, asafoetida, chili flakes, baking soda, if using, and a heaping tablespoon of salt. Gradually add enough water, while mixing, to form a smooth batter that has the consistency of thin pancake batter, about 2 cups water; it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• For the vegetables and frying: Fill a large Dutch oven halfway with oil, attach a deep-fry thermometer and heat over medium-high heat to 340 degrees F. (It is important that the oil be medium hot, if too hot then the pakoras will brown on the outside but the vegetables will be raw on the inside.)
• Toss together the kale and yellow onion in a bowl. Then put the cauliflower/broccoli, red onion and potato into separate bowls. Once the oil is at temperature, add enough of the batter to the bowl of onions to coat. Then drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil (being careful not to overcrowd) and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove to a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter and vegetables: 5 to 7 minutes for the cauliflower/broccoli florets, 6 to 10 minutes for the potatoes and 5 to 7 minutes for the kale.
• Sprinkle the pakoras with sea salt and serve hot with the green chutney for dipping.

Steps:

• Boil the potato or yam slices until *just* tender, being careful not to overcook.
• Mix batter ingredients well. Beat in a blender for 4-5 minutes to incorporate air (this will make the batter fluffier). Let batter rest 1/2 hour in a warm place.
• Add the vegetables and mix in evenly.
• Deep fry in oil that is heated to 375° until deep brown (somewhere between 4-6 minutes per batch). Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
• Serve with cilantro or mint chutney or cucumber raita.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 120C/100C fan/ gas 1/2. Make a paste by blitzing the chilli, ginger and tomato together, then set aside.
• Mix the gram flour with the spices. Add all the prepared vegetables and toss in the mix. Slowly add 150ml water until the batter coats the vegetables - they should be well coated, but not swimming in it.
• Add the tomato mixture and get your hands in there, mixing well until everything is incorporated. Add a little lemon juice and seasoning.
• Heat the oil to 180C. Take a handful of the mix and squeeze it into a loose little ball, to ensure the vegetables stick to each other when lowered in the oil. Use a spoon to carefully drop the ball into the oil.
• Fry for about 4 mins until golden and crispy, then taste to test for seasoning and consistency. You may also need to add a little water or gram our to the mixture at this point if your tester ball didn't hold together. Repeat, frying the remaining mixture in batches.
• Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in the oven as you go. Serve immediately with chutney.

Steps:

• Mix together the gram flour, salt, cayenne in a bowl; add the water stirring to make a thick batter.
• Stir until thick and smooth, adding just a touch more water if you need it; allow the batter to sit for about 1/2 hour before using it.
• Before dipping the vegetables, stir the chopped chilies, the cilantro, and the ghee into the batter, mixing well.
• Heat oil and coat vegetable pieces thickly with batter.
• Carefully drop coated vegetables into hot oil and cook until crisp and golden; remove from oil and drain on paper toweling.
• Serve warm with chutneys such as tamarind and coriander chutney and hot onion relish.