Spinach pakora
Tasty vegan spinach and chickpea-flour fritters from Indian for Everyone by Anupy Singla
Ingredients
- 2 cups spinach packed, then finely chopped (90 g)
- 1 onions red, diced
- 1 2-inch ginger (fresh) peeled, then minced or grated
- 1-3 hot chiles (Habañero or similar) fresh Thai, serrano, or cayenne, stemmed, seeded, minced
- 1 cup chickpea flour gram, besan flour (110g)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt omit for low-sodium diet
- 1 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne (can adjust if you need less heat)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon aijwan (carom seeds)
- 1/2 cup water (filtered or spring) warm. Start with 1/4 cup and see how the batter sets up.
- 2 cups grapeseed oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach, onion, ginger, and fresh chiles and mix well to combine. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the besan, salt, red chile powder, turmeric, and ajwain and stir well to combine. You can also add other spices, including garam masala, ground black pepper, and so on. Be as creative as you like. Add half the water to the besan mixture and stir until smooth. This mixture should be fairly thick and not too watery. Make sure that there are no lumps in the batter.
- Slowly fold the spinach mixture into the batter.
- Ina small kadhai, wok, or saucepan over medium–high heat, warm the oil. The oil should be about 1 inch / 3 cm deep in the deepest part of the kadhai. You’ll know the oil is hot enough if you drop in a cumin seed and it sizzles and rises to the top immediately. You're looking for 350-360F if you have an instant-read thermometer.
- Using a tablespoon measure, carefully place 4 tablespoons / 60 mL of batter into the oil, 1 at a time, and cook for about 30 seconds on 1 side, until lightly browned but just shy of being cooked through. Turn over each of the pakoras and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Remove the pakoras with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet lined with a paper towel to absorb extra oil. Place a small, flat bowl on top of each pakora and press down lightly.
- Return the pakoras to the hot oil and cook for 30 to 40 seconds on each side, until golden brown. Remove from the heat. Remove the pakoras with a slotted spoon and transfer to the baking tray lined with fresh paper towels to absorb the oil. [Note from Anupy: My aunts in Chandigarh insist on doing this to ensure the pakoras are extra crispy. It also helps to make sure they cook through. Don’t worry: You can fry them just once as well. Just cook them a little longer to ensure they cook through.] I cooked mine for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and puffed up.
- Cook remaining batter in the same way until all are cooked. Eat immediately. These are normally served with Mint or Tamarind-Date Chutney.
Notes
Cooking Tips: The oil should be about 350°F / 180°C, but not much hotter than that. If you feel like the pakoras are frying too quickly, reduce the heat to low. You don’t want them to cook too quickly on the outside and then remain uncooked on the inside. You can also make a batch and keep them in the oven on the warm setting to serve later, or pan fry or bake them. If baking, place 1 tablespoon of batter in each section of an oiled or nonstick muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes at 350°F / 180°C. Flip them over and bake for 1 to 2 minutes for extra crispiness. Remove from the oven. Reprinted with permission from Indian for Everyone by Anupy Singla, Agate Surrey, 2014, 2016.