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Potato & Onion Pakora
Pakora is the crispy version of the bhajee. The vegetables are lightly salted and left to stand a few minutes to extract some of their juice, which is then mopped up with a little chickpea flour. Whole fennel and cumin seed add aroma, while vapours from black salt and asafoetida (hing) lift it to high heaven.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Cuisine Indian, street-food, vegan
Servings 16 pakora
Ingredients
  
  • 2 large potatoes julienned or coarsely grated
  • 2 large onions thinly sliced
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp salt (to taste) black rock salt is especially good here - grind a little in a mortar and pestle
  • 3-4 heaped tbsp gram (chick-pea) flour
  • a few drops of water if needed
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional) for a soft, fluffy centre with all of the outer crispness
  • oil for frying or invest in an air-fryer
Condiments
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 5-6 black peppercorns ground in a mortar and pestle
  • 1 large pinch of hing (asafoetida)
  • 2-3 fresh bird's-eye (Thai) chillies thinly sliced, de-seeded or whole (optional)
Instructions
 
  • Use the coarse grater or julienne attachement of your food processor to process the potatoes. I keep the skins on.
  • OR manually grate or julienne the spuds with whatever implement you have to hand. Shams used a spiralizer for her pakora. Brilliant!
  • Thinly slice the onions either by hand or in your food processor
  • Mix the onions and potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle on the salt
  • Leave to stand for 5 minutes for the salt to draw out some of the juices
  • Taste some of the onion. If it's too salty run a handful of the vegetables under the tap. Or add a little more salt to get the seasoning to your taste
  • Add the chillies, cumin, fennel and hing. There's no need to pre-roast the spices as they'll release all their flavour in the frying process
  • Add in the gram flour a spoonful at a time, mixing it in well with a spoon or your free hand until the mixture just holds together. If the mixture looks dry use splash on a few drops of water witth your fingers
Fry The Pakora In Oil
  • Add tablespoon of the mixture to medium hot oil. Your pakoras should start to sizzle immediately, otherwise the oil is not hot enough. Conversely, If the oil is smokling wildly, turn down the flame and wait for it to cool
  • Fry, turning occasionally until golden on all sides
Air-Fry The Pakora
  • Placing the raw pakora directly on the wire trays will not work. Use lightly oiled greasproof parchment cut to size or silicon mesh over the trays
  • Drop tablespoon-fulls of pakora mix on the trays and "fry" at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes in total.
  • After 5-7 minutes turn the pakoras over carefully, Discard the baking parchment at this stage so both surfaces are exposed to the drying heat.
  • Swap the bottom-most and top-most trays over as needed half way through cooking

Notes

Serve with your favourite relish or pickle and a crisp vegetable side.
For a complete protein-rich meal follow with any number of vegetable dishes accompanied by rice, millet or rotis using flour from your favourite grain. Or try South Indian rice-and-lentil ferments such as dosa or idli for that extra-special touch.
 
Keyword chickpea, chilli, fried, indian, pulses, snack, spicy, street-food, vegan, vegetarian