From Cauliflower to Crispy Goodness: The Ultimate Pakora Recipe

Bye bye summer, hello Cauliflower!

Hello and happy Friday!

It's that wonderful time of the year when cauliflower is in season, and we have a scrumptious treat that has just been published on the blog: Cauliflower Pakora. I literally finished writing this recipe and came here to share it with you all. I believe that weekends are the perfect excuse to try new recipes and indulge a little. As well, if you are lucky enough to have weekends off, we can normally get some extra time to go shopping.

So, let me tell you how easy is it to make these delicious Indian fritters, using ingredients that you may already have at home, or that will take you on a short trip to your nearest store.

Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower

• 1-2 green chilis (optional)

• 130 g gram flour (you can use all-purpose flour)

• 1 teaspoon coriander powder or seeds

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder or seeds

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• ½ teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 10 small curry leaves sliced (optional)

• 1 teaspoon cornflour

• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

• A handful of fresh coriander or parsley

• Squeeze of lemon

• 130 ml water

• Vegetable oil for frying

Step-by-Step Method:

Make the gram flour batter by combining all the dry ingredients, the fresh coriander, lemon, and water. Whisk well until all the ingredients are perfectly combined.

Add the cauliflower and mix well making sure all the cauliflower pieces are coated.

Fry the cauliflower pakoras in small batches, so they cook evenly. Cook until golden brown, turning them halfway to make sure they cook equally on both sides. When cooked, take them out of the hot oil, and leave them on a paper towel for a couple of minutes to remove the excess oil.

For this recipe, we made a mint and yogurt sauce (plant-based) by combining fresh mint, soy yogurt (unsweetened), lemon juice, and salt. You can add a little maple syrup for sweetness.

Here are our tips to prepare the best Gobi Pakora

• Batter consistency. If your chickpea batter is too thin, it won't stick to the cauliflower, and if the batter is too thick, the pakoras will be too dense. You need just the right batter consistency. Smooth, thick, and lump-free consistency, just enough to coat the cauliflower florets effectively. When possible, use gram or chickpea flour. This flour is lighter, healthier, and turns out crispier than regular flour.

• Oil temperature for frying: Our small trick to see if the oil is hot enough is to drop a small amount of batter into the oil, and if the oil is hot enough, this should start to sizzle and rise to the surface shortly. Make sure the oil is not smoky, if the oil is too hot, your gobi pakoda will burn before cooking completely. On the other hand, oil that's not hot enough will result in soggy and greasy pakoras.

• Use fresh cauliflower instead of frozen: Fresh cauliflower florets are preferred over frozen ones, as frozen florets can become mushy after cooking. You can blanch the cauliflower for a minute or two in hot water before coating it with batter but this step is not necessary.

• Adding spices and flavors: When making Pakora, make sure your batter is flavored enough. Spices, salt, and fresh ingredients such as coriander and green chilis are a perfect combination to give a delicious flavor to your batter.

• Frying technique: To get that perfect crispy texture, fry the Gobi Pakoras in small batches, preventing overcrowding and ensuring even cooking.

• Serve hot. Hot Gobi Pakoras are always best. Once they get cold, they lose their crispiness and could get soggy. You can always have the batter ready and leave the cooking process for the very last minute.

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Have a great weekend, and if you try our recipe, leave a comment with your review, we are always happy to read you :)