Ingredients
- 2 C Chick Pea Flour
- 1 C Water
- *Lots* of Vegetable Oil
- 8 C Veggies:
- 4 C Cauliflower
- 2 C Brocolli
- 1 C Yellow Belle Pepper
- 1/2 C Shredded Carrot
- 1/2 C Onion
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 2 TBS Ginger, Minced
- Optional:
- 2 TBS Cilantro, Finely Chopped
- 1 tsp each:
- 3/4 tsp each:
- 1/4 tsp each:
- Ajwain Seeds*
- Fennel Seeds
- Nigella Seeds*
- Red Pepper Flakes*
- Black Mustard Seeds*
*If you like, you can use other veggies, whatever you have on hand--just prepare about 8 C total. Ajwain may be hard to find so you can sub caraway seeds if desired. Nigella seeds are also known as black seeds, if you can't find them you can sub with cumin seeds. If you want your pakoras to be spicier, you can always add more red pepper flakes. If you can't find black mustard seeds, just omit them.
Directions
- Place 1 C roughly chopped cauliflower in a small pot, cover with water and set to simmer on low until it is soft enough to mash. Chop 3 C cauliflower into very small pieces and place in a large bowl. Boil a kettle or pot of water and pour it into the large bowl until cauliflower is mostly covered (it will float a bit). Leave it to soften while you prep the rest of the veggies.
- Chop the brocolli into small pieces like the cauliflower, place in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for about 5-10 min while you finish prepping the other stuff, just until it becomes extra vibrant. Cut the yellow belle pepper and onion into short, thin julienne strips, shred the carrot and set aside in a med-sized bowl. Add minced ginger, garlic and cilantro (if using).
- Fill a large frying pan with a 2-3 inches of vegetable oil and get it heating to a med-high temp--it will take a while.
- Once the 1 C cauliflower in the small pot is soft, drain and mash it until smooth. Thoroughly drain the rest of the cauliflower in the large bowl and the brocolli in the small bowl and mix all veggies (including garlic, ginger and cilantro) in the large bowl.
- In a med sized bowl, thoroughly mix the chic pea flour and spices. Add 1 C water and mix until there are no dry patches. Add the mashed cauliflower and mix well. Add batter mix to the veggies and stir until all the veggies are well coated.
- Check the oil in the pan by dipping a chopstick into it. If you see little bubbles coming up, the oil is ready. Using a 1/4 size measuring cup, scoop up a small portion of the batter, and press it together. Using a slotted spoon, drop into oil and gently flatten it a bit with the spoon--watch out for oil splashing up at you. You'll want to space them apart so don't put in too many at once, just 4 or 5 at a time. Ideally the oil will cover the pakoras but if not, you can carefully turn them over part way through using a slotted spatula or tongs.
- Once pakoras are a dark brown colour, scoop them out with a slotted spatula or tongs and place on a baking sheet covered with a paper towel and baking rack. Cook in batches until all of the batter is used up. Makes 15-20, depending on how you size them.
This recipe pairs really well with
Red Lentil Soup and
Korma (click on each for recipe)
