Pakoras are starter for an Bhartiya meal, a light snack, or pass them around as snack bites at your gathering. They are gluten free, so everybody can enjoy them! Pakoras are crispy, bite-size vegetable fritters. They are loaded with gorgeous Indian spices before being fried until crunchy.

Pakora batter is made with a combination of chickpea flour and rice flour. As well, it features a variety of spices, so these fritters are flavorsome all by themselves, although they are always yummy dipped into chutney.

Ingredients

·      1 cup besan (chickpea flour)

·      2 tablespoons rice flour 

·      3/4 teaspoon salt

·      1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 

·      1/4 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds, or cumin seeds

·      1/8 teaspoon baking soda 

·      1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 

·      1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 

·      Canola or peanut oil, for deep-frying

·      1 yellow onion, cut into rings 

·      2 cups spinach cut into 2-inch pieces 

·      2 cups 1-inch cauliflower florets

·      1 cup potato thin slices

Method

1.     Whisk the besan, rice flour, salt, turmeric, ajwain seeds and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add the ginger, lemon juice, and enough water (roughly 1/2 cup) to form a batter. (Consistency-wise, it should be slightly thinner than dosa batter.)

2.     Warm the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until it registers 375 degrees F on a thermometer. Set a paper-towel lined baking sheet.

3.     Drop the onions, spinach, and cauliflower into the batter.  Knock the excess batter off each piece before dropping into the hot oil. Fry in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry smaller, thinner vegetables like the onions and spinach for 1 to 2 minutes. Fry the cauliflower and potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes.

4.     Remove the pakoras from the hot oil. Set them on the paper-towel for few seconds before serving them with Mint Chetney. Eat hot!

Note:

Unlike regular chickpea flour, which is made from garbanzo beans, whereas besan is made from brown chickpeas (AKA chana dal) and is much more finely milled. It has a milder flavor and requires less water to form a batter.

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