Vegetable Pakora

Pakoras (also called Bhaji in the south of India) are normally deep fried using a batter but these are a healthier, pan fried, option that are crispy on the outside and soft inside. This does not follow any particular recipe but has been developed over a period of time to produce a flavourful starter. They are flattened, burger style, to allow for the pan frying. In the past I have restricted myself to supermarket bought versions, even expensive ones, and believe these are as good or even better.

Ingredients

Makes 4 large or 6 medium	Continued...
200 gm potato (prepared weight)	2 tspn methi (see note 1)
125 gm onion (prepared weight)	1 - 2 tspn fennel seeds
60 gm carrot (prepared weight)	½ tspn hot madras curry powder (see note 2)
5 gm garlic (prepared weight)	¼ tspn turmeric
10 gm ginger (prepared weight)	1 tspn salt
½ - 1 tspn chilli powder to taste	4 tbspn gram flour (see note 3)
1 tspn ground coriander	20 gm butter
1 tspn ground cumin	1 tbspn oil

Preparation

Peel the potatoes and cut into pieces.
Cut a medium onion approx in half (for 125 gm) and remove skin but do not slice or chop at this stage.
Grate the carrot and remove as much moisture as possible using kitchen paper.
Finely chop the ginger and garlic.
Add water to a large saucepan, salt to taste, and add the potatoes and onion, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 min or until the potatoes are cooked.
Drain the water and remove the onion onto kitchen paper.
Mash the potatoes, adding butter,
Cut the onion into pieces.
Using a large bowl, mix the chopped onion and carrot into the mashed potato.
Mix in the ginger and garlic.
Add all the spices and mix thoroughly.
Add the gram flour and mix thoroughly (use more if the mix is too wet).
Make 4 or 6 burger shaped pakoras by hand by moulding into a ball and then flattening as needed. (They can be frozen for future use at this stage.)
Place on a plate that has been sprinkled with some gram flour and dust the tops with a little more gram flour and refrigerate for as long as possible.

Cooking

Heat some oil in a frying pan and when hot add the pakoras.
Turn the heat to medium and allow to fry for 4 min.
Turn the pakoras over and fry for another 4 min.
Remove from the pan and place on kitchen paper.

Serving

Serve with a small salad and, if desired, tomato ketchup.

Notes

(1) Methi is dried fenugreek leaves and can be purchased at many supermarkets or Asian outlets.
(2) Hot Madras curry powder is made by RAJAH and can be purchased at many supermarkets or Asian outlets.
(3) Gram flour (Besan) can be purchased at many supermarkets or Asian outlets.

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