CAULIFLOWER PAKORAS

Course: Salty Snacks

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 to 6 

Ingredients:

• ½ medium size cauliflower or 350 g florets separated from the cauliflower, cut into 1” pieces ( not to be chopped to smaller than 1”) kept in hot water.
• Few spinach leaves or app 50 g
• 100 g besan (gram flour)
• 1” ginger grated
• ½ tsp rock salt (or as required)
• ½  tsp of baking powder. This makes pakoras crisp. (optional)
• ⅛ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp red flakes chilli (optional)
• 1 green chili (optional) crushed finely
• 1 tsp dry methi
• ¼ tsp ajwain seeds (carom seeds)
• 150 ml water (can vary depending on the consistency required)

Making batter:

1. Take out the florets from the hot water after 1 or 2 minutes. This step is done to bring out the worms if any in the florets.
2. Drain the water and transfer to a bowl. Add a little salt and pinch of chilli powder and keep aside.
3. Add gram flour, ginger, salt, red and green chilli, methi, turmeric powder, ajwain seeds and spinach leaves in a mixing bowl.
4. Add water and make into a medium consistency. This should neither be too thick nor too thin.
5. Make sure that all florets are completely coated.
6. Taste the batter and add more salt if required.

Deep fry:

1. Take a deep kadai or pan an d keep on medium heat. The quantity of the oil should be enough so that the florets are immersed completely.
2. While the oil heats, drain all the water from the florets completely.
3. Drop a little portion of the batter to the oil to see if the oil is hot enough. If the batter rises immediately without browning, it is the right temperature.
4. Gently drop each floret separately in the hot oil. The quantities of florets which can be added at any one time will depend on the size of the kadai and quantity of the oil. Do not crowd a lot of them as they will get stuck and won’t fry well.
5.  Do not stir for a few seconds, then start stirring so that they do not stick together..
6. When one side of pakora firms up, looks cooked and is light brown, turn over gently and fry the other side.
7. Turn over a couple of times and fry these until crisp and golden.
8. Once done, then remove them with a slotted spoon draining as much oil as possible in the pan.
9. Place these on kitchen paper or in a steel colander.
10. Repeat making next batches as above. Ensure the oil is not too hot at any time. Heat can be reduced a little anytime to keep the oil at the right temperature.
11. Serve these with any green or imli chutney and a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy.

Special note:

• Pakoras make for an excellent evening tea time snack. These are served with green, yogurt or Imli chutney.