Courgette Pakoras Food

CRISPY VEGETABLE PAKORAS

Steps:

• Sift the chickpea flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the coriander, salt, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala and garlic.
• Make a well in the center of the flower. Gradually pour the water into the well and mix to form a thick, smooth batter.
• Over medium high heat in a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Coat the cauliflower and onions in the batter and fry them in small batches until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving.

PAKORA (INDIAN VEGETABLE FRITTERS)

Steps:

• Make batter: Place chickpea flour in a bowl with the spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, chilli). Slow whisk in the water.
• Mix in Vegetables: Add potato, cauliflower, onion, ginger, chilli and coriander. Mix well with a wooden spoon. It should be a thick batter, almost paste-like.
• Preheat oven to 80°C/175°F - to keep cooked pakoras warm. Set a rack over a tray.
• Heat oil: Heat 4cm / 1.5" oil in a large heavy based pot to 180°C/350°F (Note 6).
• Form patties: Drop 2 tbsp of batter roughly formed into a patty shape into the oil. I use my hands (as is typical in India!) but you can also use 2 tablespoons (be careful of splash-age). Don't crowd the pot, it will lower the temperature too much.
• Fry pakoras: Fry 2 - 3 minutes until golden. Drain on paper towels. Keep cooked pakoras hot in the oven on a rack set over a tray.
• Serve: Serve pakoras with Coriander Mint Sauce or Minted Yogurt Sauce!

COURGETTE PAKORAS

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl with ½ tsp salt, and squidge it all together using your hands. The moisture from the courgettes should help bind everything together; you want a sticky but not overly wet mixture.
• Fill a heavy-based saucepan no more than a third full with oil and set over a medium heat until the oil reaches 180C. If you don't have a cooking thermometer, test it's ready by dropping in a pinch of the pakora mixture. It should sizzle and turn golden brown after 10-20 seconds.
• Carefully drop tablespoons of the mixture into the oil, using another tablespoon to help you slide them in. Fry for about 2 mins before turning and cooking for a further 2-3 mins until golden brown, crisp and cooked through. Continue frying in batches until all the mixture has been used up.
• Leave to drain on kitchen paper. You can keep the cooked pakoras warm in a low oven while you make the rest. Serve immediately with your favourite chutney, if you like.

PAKORA

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.