Let me guess, you've probably been to an Indian restaurant at least once, if not more, haven't you? If not, you definitely have some catching up to do, as eating a home-cooked meal is a very different experience than sitting in an authentic restaurant and being served by people who know their food. However, that doesn't mean that homemade dishes are less tasty than those from a restaurant, it just isn't the same. Despite all of that, we recreated one of our many must-eat dishes that we have always ordered as a family, which we think has turned out to be a fabulous dish, namely ...... PAKORAS !!! After all, you can't eat out every day or maybe there isn't even a good Indian restaurant nearby, who knows. Hope you will like and enjoy them as much as we always do!
Cauliflower Pakora Ingredients
These flavorsome pakoras, filled almost exclusively with cauliflower, satisfy your cravings, but are light in your stomach. They have just the right combination of exotic spices, not too much, but yet special and unbeatable.
Cauliflower - Cauliflower is absolutely essential in this recipe as it makes up the bulk of each pakora.
Spinach - The spinach is deliciously crispy on the outside, while inside the pakoras it becomes soft and fresh, which is a great combination. It also adds some color to this yellow batter.
Cilantro (both fresh & dried) - Cilantro gives this recipe its final grinding and absolutely suits these pakoras.
Chickpea Flour - Chickpea flour is tender yellow, has a nutty-sweet taste and gives these pakoras their specialty. In this recipe it is absolutely important not to swap the chickpea flour with other 'normal' flour, otherwise it simply won’t be the same.
Cauliflower Pakora Tips
Other veggies/Add ins - Carrots, broccoli, kale, peas, etc. Be careful, however, you don't want to end up with an imbalance of add-ins, so that some are more suitable for quick cooking while others need the time to cook longer. The goal is to have evenly cooked pakoras.
Spiciness - It’s totally up to you whether you want your pakoras to be spicy or not. It has to be said though, both choices are fabulous, there is absolutely no right or wrong!
Making large amounts of pakoras - Preheat your oven to about 280 degrees Fahrenheit to allow the already fried pakoras to stay warm while more need to be fried.
Taste Test! - Taste your batter prior to frying to double-check whether really each flavor is popping out. ;)
Frying - Pour quite a bit of oil into the pan so that the pakoras are thoroughly and evenly cooked on all sides.
Ingredients
Easy - 15-20 (depending on the size you're aiming for) - 20 minutes550g Cauliflower (cubes)
1 White Onion, chopped
2-3 cups Spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh Cilantro, roughly chopped
3 cups Chickpea Flour
2 ⅓ cups Water
½ - 1 Lemon, juiced
3 tsp Turmeric powder
3 tsp Cumin Powder
3 tsp Salt
3 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
1-2 tsp Red Chili Flakes (OPTIONAL)
**Vegetable Oil for frying
Instructions
Combine the chickpea flour, water, lemon juice, turmeric, cumin, and salt, to make a smooth batter.
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coriander seeds and red chili pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly until the spices are toasted and fragrant.
Chop the cauliflower, onion, cilantro, spinach.
Gently fold the cauliflower cubes, onion, spinach, cilantro, and toasted spices into the chickpea batter.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and allow some time for the oil to get hot.
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.
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