Traditional Chicken Pakora Fritters Food

PAKORA (INDIAN VEGETABLE FRITTERS)

Pakora (Indian Vegetable Fritters) image

Recipe video above. Vegetable fritters can be so bland and uninspiring ... but not in the hands of Indian cooks! Pakoras are a traditional Indian street food made with all sorts of vegetables. I've used onion, potato and caulifloiwer, but see Note 5 for other options. Serve as starter for an Indian menu, light meal or pass around as canapes. They're gluten free and vegan so everybody can enjoy them!Spiciness: Mild. Large chillies are not that spicy, and we are using 2 across lots of pakoras! Feel free to omit/reduce the fresh chilli and chilli powder.No deep fry method - See Note 7 for shallow pan-fried version.

Provided by Nagi

Number Of Ingredients 26

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups chickpea flour ((Note 1))
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp fenugreek powder ((Note 2))
1/2 tsp chilli powder ((pure chilli powder, Note 3))
2 tsp salt ((cooking/kosher salt))
3/4 cups + 2 1/2 tbsp water
1 1/2 cups onions (, grated using standard box grater (~1 1/2 onions))
2 cups potato ((~1 large), peeled and grated using standard box grater (Note 4))
2 1/2 cups cauliflower ((~1/4 large head), finely chopped into rice size pieces (or grate))
2 large red chillies ((cayenne peppers), finely chopped (adjust spiciness to taste, or leave them out))
1 tbsp fresh ginger (, finely grated)
2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves (, finely chopped)
3 - 4 cups vegetable or canola oil ((4cm / 1.5" depth in pot))
2 cups mint leaves
1 cup coriander/cilantro leaves
1/4 cup eschalot (, sliced)
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
2 ice cubes ((loosens + keeps sauce green))
1 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 cup mint leaves (, packed)
1/4 tsp salt

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!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 64 kcal, Carbohydrate 8 g, Protein 2 g, Fat 3 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, TransFat 1 g, Sodium 155 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 1 g, ServingSize 1 serving

CHICKEN PAKORAS

Chicken pakoras image

Make a batch of these crispy golden pakoras as a snack, or part of an Indian meal. Serve hot with sweet chilli sauce or green chutney

Provided by Afia Begom - Afelia's Kitchen

Categories Snack

Time 50m

Yield Serves 6 (makes around 30 pakoras)

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

700g boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp cornflour
50g rice flour
40g gram flour, sieved
3 dried chillies, crushed or 3 green chillies, finely chopped
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cumin
2 small onions, chopped
small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
sweet chilli sauce or green chutney, to serve

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 426 calories, Fat 17 grams fat, SaturatedFat 1 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 24 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 3 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 43 grams protein, Sodium 1.5 milligram of sodium