Crisp and golden, these vegetable pakoras are made with onions, herbs, and spices bound in a chickpea flour batter. Perfect as a snack or appetizer, they are delicious served hot with chutney or ketchup for dipping.
6-8 appetizer servings.
Ingredients
225 g (8 oz.) gram flour (also called chana atta or besan)
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon asafetida (also called Hing)
salt to taste
½ teaspoon each fennel, cumin, onion, and carom seeds (also called ajwain), crushed
2 large onions finely sliced
2 green chillies finely chopped
2 tablespoons coriander leaves finely chopped
2 tablespoons mint leaves finely chopped
cold water for mixing the batter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Vegetable Oil for frying
Directions
- In a bowl, mix together the first 6 ingredients. Pass through a sieve into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the seeds, onion slices, green chillies, mint, and coriander leaves and toss together well. Very gradually mix in enough cold water to make a thick batter, making sure that all the ingredients are well mixed.
- Heat enough oil in a wok for deep frying.
- Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil while leaving enough space to turn the fritters around. Turn them around occasionally with a slotted spoon until they are golden brown on both sides.
- Remove the pakoras from the oil with the slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper towels.
- Serve them hot with green corriander or spicy tomato ketchup chutney.
