Description
These pakoras (or pakodas: delicious spiced Indian chickpea fritters) are filled with tender slices of potato, onions, spinach, and cilantro. Toasted whole coriander seeds and red chili pepper flakes add bright pops of flavour and just the right amount of heat. They’re essentially foolproof and take just 35 minutes to make.
We updated this recipe on 9/6/2019 to make it simpler and easier.
Ingredients
- 170g (¼ of a 1.5lb bag) The Little Potato Company’s Terrific Trio Creamer potatoes, sliced thin
- 1 small white onion, sliced
- 1 handful of spinach, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup (80ml) cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 cup (130g) chickpea (gram or besan) flour (finely ground dried chickpeas)
- ¾ cup (175ml) water
- ⅓ cup (40g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (10ml) lemon juice
- 1 tsp (5ml) ground turmeric
- 1 tsp (5ml) ground cumin
- 1½ tsp (5m) salt
- ½ tbsp (7.5ml) vegan butter or vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp (15ml) whole coriander seeds
- 2 tsp (10ml) red chili pepper flakes
- Neutral tasting vegetable oil, for frying
Creamy Cilantro Sauce
- 1 handful cilantro
- 1 handful baby spinach
- ⅓ cup (80ml) water
- 2 tbsp (30ml) nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 ½ tbsp (22.5ml) olive oil
- 1 big pinch salt
Instructions
- Heat butter or oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coriander seeds and red chili pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly until the spices are toasted and fragrant. Do not overcook.
- In a medium sized bowl combine chickpea flour, water, flour, lemon juice, turmeric, cumin, and salt, to make a smooth batter.
- Gently fold the sliced potatoes, onion, spinach, cilantro, and toasted spices from step 1 into the chickpea batter.
- In a deep, heavy bottomed saucepan, heat 1” (2 ½ cm) of frying oil over medium-high heat. Allow plenty of time for the oil to get hot (between 325°F to 350°F (160°C to 175°C).
- Use a large tablespoon to drop loose spoonfuls of the pakora batter into the frying oil. Don’t compress the batter too much when you scoop it. Cook the first side until deeply golden and crispy, flip and cook the other side. Drain cooked pakoras on cooling rack or paper/kitchen towel.
- Serve with creamy cilantro sauce, chutney, or your favourite dipping sauce.
Creamy Cilantro Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse on high until well-blended with plenty of green flecks left intact. (This is a thin dipping sauce, decrease water for a thicker sauce.)
Notes
Be sure to slice potatoes thinly and evenly for thorough cooking.
If using whole chickpeas instead of chickpea flour (gram flour): Grind 2 cups of dried chickpeas into a flour using a high-speed blender or food processor, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed. Sift the flour if you can’t achieve a flour-like texture from grinding alone. Measure out 1 cup of chickpea flour.
Serving: Pakoras are best served with an accompanying dipping sauce. Serve them with our light and creamy cilantro sauce or use your favourite chutney or chili/sweet chili sauce.
Gluten-Free: substitute all-purpose flour for an additional ⅓ cup of chickpea flour.
Add-ins: Cauliflower, carrots, peas, broccoli, and other greens like kale or chard. Be sure to chop slow-cooking vegetables (like carrots/cauliflower/broccoli) appropriately so that everything cooks thoroughly and evenly.
Reheating: For a crisp texture, preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and bake leftover pakoras for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Alternatively you can just use your microwave to reheat the pakoras but they won’t be crispy. Freezer-friendly.
Keywords: vegan pakoras, vegetable pakoras