Vijs Buttermilk Pakoras 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:

• Wash the cauliflower in a colander; allow to drain for approx 15 minutes (the vegetables need to be very dry otherwise the extra water will make the batter runny).
• Peel and wash the potatoes, cut in half and cut each half in thin slices (I quarter the potato).
• In a large mixing bowl combine the chickpea flour, buttermilk, peppers, coriander, cumin, mango powder, turmeric and salt, using your hands.
• Make sure everything is well combined and that there are no lumps of chickpea flour left.
• Now add the cauliflower, potatoes and the red onion.
• It should be all sticking together.
• To test the right thickness, take a spoonful and drop it from an 8-10 inch height back into the mixing bowl, the ball should remain its shape for a few seconds.
• If too runny add some more chickpea flour, 2 tablespoons at the time and no more then 4.
• Heat the oil, test with a drop of batter, when it floats to the top in a few seconds and is sizzling, the oil is hot enough.
• Drop approx 2-inch balls (they will not be round, and I use two tablespoons to do this) into the oil and fry for approx 2 ½ minutes or until golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels.

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:

• 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:

• Put the chicken in a large bowl, then use your hands to coat the pieces in the cornflour. Mix in the rice flour, followed by the gram flour. Add the chillies, spices, onion, coriander and 1 tsp salt. Mix well with your hands.
• Gradually add around 150ml water until the ingredients have become moist and ever-so-slightly wet. You may not need all the water (adding too much will stop the pakora mixture binding).
• Fill a deep pan no more than a third full with vegetable oil and heat to 180C. Squeeze a small amount of the pakora mixture together before carefully lowering into the hot oil with a spoon. Fry for 8-10 mins, turning regularly, until cooked through and browned all over. Set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper while you repeat with the remaining mixture, frying in small batches. Serve hot with a sweet chilli sauce or green chutney.