Indian Vegetable Pakora Fritters with Mint Chutney
We ALL get into a rut sometimes. Emotional ruts…exercise ruts…relationship ruts…COOKING RUTS. I have personally experienced all four (…and more, YAY!) and I can tell you there’s only ONE way to break free:
GET. OUT. OF. YOUR. COMFORT ZONE.
You heard me…if something is not right, go left. And it’s about time you went left with your weekly dinner staples and try something new. Start with something that scares you. Use an ingredient you’ve never heard of. Try a spice you normally don’t gravitate towards. Learn a cooking method that has always freaked you out. I’m telling you, the only way out is through, and in this case: we are exiting through the deep fryer. Don’t be scared, I’m here for you every step of the way.
Enter these crispy, crunchy Indian vegetable pakora. Sure, they’re deep fried, but still incredibly light. Why? Because the batter is literally just chickpea flour, ginger, cumin & water and we aren’t using much of it. Opt for whatever shredded vegetables you have on hand, as long as they are quick cooking and measure about 2.5 cups in total. I stick with carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower & onion but hey, you do you. Pro Tip: Keeping the batter super-thick makes it easier for the pakora to stick together when you are dropping it into the hot oil.
Got questions? I thought so…Here are the answers:
YES, you can do this!
NO, you won’t burn down the house.
YES, you can leave out the cumin if it’s not your thing.
YES, this is a perfect wildcard dish to bring to the Super Bowl.
NO, eating fried foods once in a while won’t hurt.
YES, this recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, plant-based and definitely considered a vegetable side dish.
These went so freaking fast at dinner Saturday night, it’s almost like they never happened. Which means I’ll just have to make them again for the Super Bowl, and so should YOU! Don’t sleep on the Mint Chutney people…this is some serious RUT-BUSTING SHIT right here!!!
Indian Vegetable Pakora Fritters with Mint Chutney
Ingredients
- Batter:
- ¾ cup chickpea flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
- 1 teaspoon pureed ginger
- 4-5 tablespoons water
- ½ cup julienned carrot
- ½ cup cauliflower, chopped small
- ½ cup broccoli, chopped small
- ½ cup shredded cabbage
- ½ cup thinly sliced onion
- oil for frying
- 1 cup mint leaves
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 small shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ice cube (loosens + keeps sauce green)
Instructions
- Place the flour in a large bowl with the spices. Slowly whisk in the water. Add the vegetables and mix well. It should be a thick batter, almost paste-like. If your batter feels too thin, the fritters won't hold together. Add a little more chickpea flour if that's happening to you. And if your batter feels thick, you're doing it right. As the bowl sits for a few minutes the water from the cabbage will make the batter a little looser.
- Heat oil in a deep pan or dutch oven on a medium heat to 350°F. Just enough oil for the fritters to fully submerge, but not higher than 2/3rds up the side of whatever saucepan you are using.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of the dough and flatten in your hands a bit. These are messy. That's ok. These won't be pretty perfect balls. That's ok, too. The beauty of these pakora is in the rustic, vegetables coming out at all angles, no two look alike kind of style.
- Place in the hot oil and do not disturb for a minute until they firm up a bit. Fry on a medium heat until lightly golden, about 2 - 3 minutes. You may have to flip them a few times. Drain on paper towels. Repeat in batches and serve with Mint Chutney for dipping.
- Place ingredients in a small food processor. Blitz until smooth and ice is fully blended into the chutney.
Equipment:
Equipment:
- Large dutch oven or deep fryer
- Large bowl
- Medium bowl