Zucchini Pakoras
This is enough for a snack for 2-3 people but the recipe is easily doubled or quadrupled.
You can use an assortment of veggies - cabbage in strips, cauliflower chopped into smallish chunks, pepper strips, grated beets, chopped mushrooms… just skip the salting step, which takes 30 minutes (of hands-off time). If you make a non-zucchini version you can make these in about 35 minutes. Serve with Tamarind Chutney.
- 150 grams zucchini (1c, grated)
- 20 grams carrot (2T, grated)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (If you quadruple the recipe, only double the amount of salt - so 1/2t not 1t)
- 10 grams cilantro, 2-3T, chopped
- 20 grams jalapeno (1/2 small, seeded and minced, optional)
- 45 grams onion (1/2 small, peeled and thinly sliced in half moons)
- 8-12 curry leaves (destemmed and roughly chopped, optional)
- 35 grams besan/chickpea or gram flour (4T)
- 10 grams rice flour (1T, or cornstarch)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 garam masala (see notes for recipe if you want to make your own)
- 1 pinch hing (asafoetida, optional)
- 475 milliliters neutral oil (2c for frying, we used sunflower)
- Salting the Zucchini (skip this step if you aren't using zucchini)
Mix the grated zucchini, carrot and 1/4 t salt in a bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, squeeze the veggies over a bowl to collect the liquid that has developed from the salting. Reserve the liquid because you may need to add it back into the recipe.
- Adding the other ingredients
Add the other wet ingredients: optional jalapeño, cilantro, onion and curry leaves and mix again.
Add the chickpea flour, rice flour/cornstarch, the second 1/4t of salt, the baking powder and all the spices, and mix again until you can't see any powder.
If you need to, add some of the zucchini liquid back in 1T at a time (watch video) so that the mixture can hold a patty shape.
- Frying
Heat the oil in a smallish pot to 177C/350F. The pot should be able to take 2 patties at a time. While the oil is heating, prep a plate or a rack with either brown paper or paper towels.
Scoop some of the veggie mix into you hand, make a ball and then flatten it into more of a patty shape. Carefully put the pakora into the oil and then do a second one. The pakoras only really take a minute or so on each side to get to a perfect brown colour (see video).
Using a slotted spoon, scoop the pakoras out and place them on your papered plate or rack. Sprinkle with a little salt while still hot. Repeat the pakora frying until all the mixture is gone. Ours made about 6 pakoras but yours may differ depending on what size you are making them.
Serve as is, or, ideally, with Tamarind Chutney.
Here is the recipe to make your own garam masala.
