Vegetable Pakora!!!!
So my husband got a deep fryer from my sister this Christmas. I’m not too fond of the idea, but I do have a few recipes I’ve never tried deep fried that I absolutely love (like simple french fries, plantain chips, vegetable spring rolls, etc). And this was one of the recipes I never thought I could re-create like the restaurants do! Vegetable Pakora. One of my favorite appetizers at Indian restaurants (aside from Samosas). Its vegan And gluten free:)
I am so satisfied with how these turned out. I was really worried they were not going to transform when I placed them in the boiling oil, but they cooked beautifully and taste amazing!! Especially with a side of tamarind sauce, or what I made the other night, my Cilantro Jalapeño Dipping Sauce, SO GOOD!!
As unhealthy as deep frying is (I don’t plan on doing this often), but everything did look nice and green, vibrant bright and fresh in my mixing bowl before throwing it into the deep fryer;) I know, that doesn’t make it all better, but it is nice to know that we aren’t cooking deep fried processed Oreo’s or anything LOL! It is being made out of very wholesome ingredients, practically anything you have in your fridge will do. This recipe is super customizable, you can add string beans, kale, spinach, carrots, peppers, onions, potatoes, the list goes on..so lets begin!
PS: I got this recipe from VahChef, he is AMAZING if you want to learn how to cook GOOD indian food!!
Ingredients
- High Heat Oil (like Coconut oil) for frying.
- 2 Cups - Chickpea Flour (if you don't have this, I used gluten free flour I made out of potato and rice flour and it worked for me but I cannot guarantee it will come out the same for you)
- 1-2 Tbsp - Melted Coconut Oil
- 1 - Onion
- 3-4 - Medium Carrots
- 1 - White Potato
- 3 Chives
- 1 Bunch - Cilantro
- 1 Handful - Spinach
- 1 Tbsp - Cumin Powder
- 1 Tbsp - Coriander Powder
- 1 Tbsp - Fennel Seeds (crushed)
- 1 tsp - Cardamom Seeds
- 1 tsp - Red Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
- Optional - 1 Bell Pepper, Small Handful of String Beans, 1/2 Medium Eggplant, etc.
Instructions
- Chop up all of your ingredients into thin slices.
- Mix together your flour and oil first in a large mixing bowl.
- Next toss in your spices.
- Add in all of your chopped vegetables and mix thoroughly.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare your frying oil by either using your deep fryer or taking out a medium sized pot to place the oil in, careful not to spill oil around the pot or the stove (I recommend using a deep fryer because it will be programmed to fry at exactly the right temperature. If you do not have a deep fryer, heat the oil up to 375F and maintain that temperature so you do not burn the oil).
- Add a few Tbsps of filtered water to your mixture and stir to make sure everything is evenly moistened and coated.
- Once the oil is hot, gently fold a few small patties with your hands out of the mixture, place into a skimmer and gently lower into the hot oil. Keep in the oil for 3-5 minutes, checking on them to make sure they are not sticking together or burning.
- Once they turn golden brown and crispy, use the skimmer to take them out and place them on a plate over a paper towel (to help soak up excess oil).
- Repeat the last 2 steps in batches until you are finished! 🙂
Notes
Feel free to strain the oil out with a cheese cloth once the oil is cooled and pour into a container and store in the refrigerator for next time. !! ** Always make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy in case of emergency, NEVER pour WATER over an OIL fire!