Mixed Vegetable Pakoras

Votes: 2

Time: 40 min.
Complexity: average
Servings: 6

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 566, total fat 33 G., saturated fats 3 G., proteins 9 G., carbohydrates 59 G., fiber 5 G., cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 568 mg, sugar 3 G.

Pakora is a vegetarian Indian snack made of battered, deep-fried vegetables. Recipe author Nidhi Jalan calls these vegetables the "tempura" of Indian cuisine. The chickpea flour batter, infused with aromatic spices, is fried until fluffy and crispy, and fresh cilantro chutney is the perfect dipping sauce.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Green chutney

2-3 small Thai green chilies or serranos, coarsely chopped (remove seeds to reduce heat)
2 bunches cilantro, leaves and soft stems coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
2 small cloves of garlic
2.5 cm ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 bunch of mint, leaves picked (about 1 cup)
Juice of 2 limes (about 3 tbsp)
0.5 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp roasted ground cumin

Dough

2.5 cups chickpea flour (besan) + more as needed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon of ajwain seeds
1/8 tsp. asafoetida
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
A pinch of baking soda (optional) to make the dough fluffy

Vegetables

1 kale leaf, chopped, stem removed (1 cup)
Half a small onion, chopped
2 cups small cauliflower and/or broccoli florets
1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced 0.5cm thick.
1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 0.5 cm thick circles.
Rapeseed oil, for deep-frying
Sea salt flakes for sprinkling
Special equipment: deep fat thermometer

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: cauliflower, chutney sauce, chickpea flour, Asafoetida, ginger root, serrano pepper, lime, cumin, cilantro, mint

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Green chutney:
Yield: 3/4 cup

Combine the chili pepper, 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, if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside until ready to serve.
Dough:

Combine the chickpea flour, cilantro, ajwain, asafoetida, chili flakes, baking soda, if using, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Gradually add enough water, stirring constantly, to form a smooth, pancake-like batter (about 2 cups of water); it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Vegetables and frying:

Fill a large wok halfway with vegetable oil, attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side, and heat the oil over medium heat to 170°C (350°F). It's important that the oil is moderately hot; if it's too hot, the pakoras will brown on the outside but the vegetables will remain raw inside.
Combine the cabbage and yellow onion in a bowl. Then place the cauliflower/broccoli, red onion, and potatoes in separate bowls. Once the oil is hot, add enough batter to the bowl with the onions to coat them. Then drop 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the hot oil (being careful not to overcrowd) and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a rack set on a baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining batter and vegetables: 5-7 minutes for the cauliflower/broccoli, 6-10 minutes for the potatoes, and 5-7 minutes for the cabbage. Sprinkle the pakoras with sea salt and serve hot with green chutney for dipping.

You can find roasted ground cumin at your local grocery store, or you can roast and grind the cumin seeds yourself.

Ajwain seeds have a thyme-like flavor.

Asafoetida (hing) has a garlicky flavour and is indispensable in Indian cooking.

All these ingredients can be found in the Indian grocery section.