Vegetable Pakoras
I made these as appetizers and served them with mango chutney, you could also use plum sauce.
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 cups of water- you may want to add more- you want the vegetables lightly battered not heavily battered.
1 quart of oil for deep frying
1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
2 onions sliced into 1/2 inch wide rings
Other vegetable would work like large mushrooms or even sweet potato cut into slices.
CUT ALL THE INGREDIENTS IN HALF TO MAKE FOR FOUR PEOPLE
Directions:
1. Mix flour and all the spices including the salt and garlic together in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the water to make a nice smooth batter. It’s a good idea to make this batter an hour ahead of time so that the flavors develop but if you are in a hurry don’t worry about it.
2. Over medium high heat, in a large heavy saucepan ( I used my large enamelled cast iron pot), heat the oil to 375 degrees F- using a thermometer here would be helpful to you. If you don’t have a thermometer, and after the oil has been heating for about 5 minutes, sprinkle in a little flour or a drip of batter. The oil should bubble up around the batter if the oil is hot enough. Heat the oil a few minutes longer and test a little drip of batter again, until the oil is hot enough.
3. Coat the cauliflower and onion rings in the batter and fry them in small batches(5-6 pieces at a time) for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. You may need to move the coated vegetables around a little in the oil so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Use tongs to add the coated pieces to the oil and then use a perforated spoon(a spoon with holes in it) to remove the fried pieces from the oil. Drain on paper towels before serving. As you fry them, keep them warm in the oven until you are finished and then serve. As a safety precaution, you might want to use a splatter screen, while the oil is heating and while the vegetables are cooking. Don’t let water get anywhere near the hot oil or it will splatter like crazy and you could hurt yourself. So, covering the pot with a lid is not a good idea, because steam will build up on the inside of the lid and drop into the hot oil and bubble and splatter. Once, when I was heating the oil up, all of a sudden it just popped and hot oil splashed out for no apparent reason. Luckily I wasn’t close to the pan, but that is why I always use a splatter screen. Kids and pets should be no where near hot oil. This all sounds a little scary, but if you use precautions and don’t rush, it will all work out great.
4. Serve with mango chutney or plum sauce. I just buy mine in the ethnic foods section.
You will see another sauce in the photo, it was a yogurt jalapeno sauce, but I didn’t really like it, so I’m not including the recipe. A mint, jalapeno yogurt sauce would probably be a nice addition. If I make one in the future I like I will post it.
