v:gourmet

My eldest, Joshua, is in the middle of his final exams. Like the best of us, he’s looking for a few procrastination strategies which, fortunately for our household, took the form of making veggie pakoras today. Spicy. Deep-fried. Oniony. Crunchy. What student could ask for anything more? What mom could be happier to smell the sweet smell of home-cooked goodness in the house? What food blogger could be more pleased to swoop in and post the results?

1 cup chickpea flour, sieved

1 medium onion

3 medium potatoes

1 tsp of salt

2 tsps of garam masala

1 tsp of turmeric

2 chillies, finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger, grated (optional)

Handful of coriander, chopped

2 tsp of dried fenugreek leaves

1 tsp of cumin seeds

½ tsp of red chilli powder

Water

Oil for deep frying

Heat up the oil in a karahi or wok over medium heat.

Slice the onion lengthways very thinly and place in a bowl. Peel and grate (or very finely chop) the potatoes into the same bowl. You can also use aubergines and cauliflower – chop into very small pieces.

Sprinkle all the dry spices and freshly chopped coriander, chillies and ginger into the bowl and then sieve in the chickpea flour – mix together using your hands. Add a small amount of water a little at a time to create a thick batter that coats all the vegetables. Squeeze the mixture through your fingers to ensure all the spices mix through. (Do not leave the batter and vegetable mixture for too long before cooking.)

Test your oil is hot enough by dropping a little batter into the oil. If it browns and rises immediately then it is ready. Very carefully drop in spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil and fry until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon move the pakora around, be careful not to overcrowd them.

Once golden brown and crisp remove from the oil and set on some paper towel. Serve with a yummy raita or a vegan-version tahini dip.

Thanks to Hari Ghotra for Joshua’s inspiration.