A Step-by-Step Guide to Authentic Indian Vegan Vegetable Pakoras

For 4 € 1.6 /pers. 325 kcal/100g

For many of us, Indian cuisine is full of unique delicacies that never stop surprising our palates with super intense flavors.

Vegetable pakoras are one of those cases, a spectacular recipe that can either be used as a garnish (in fact that is how they are usually served in Indian restaurants), or can function directly as a main dish , due to their high calorie content. Come on, if we get a little bit itchy (and it will happen to you, because they are delicious) we will end up full before we know it.

This vegetable recipe simply consists of frying vegetables in a batter of chickpea flour , egg, and water, shaping them into a kind of fritter . For Extremadurans, we can say that it looks quite similar to repápalos . Normally, they are accompanied by sauce , very often spicy , and the vegetables most used for pakoras are cauliflower , tomato , spinach , eggplant , onion and tomato .

Some recipes include cheese (this is called paneer pakora ) and even a little chicken, but the latter is the least common. The trick of preparing this dish is to make pakoras with different ingredients and make each bite a surprise. Thus, diners are always left wanting to try another one to see if it is the one they like the most or to discover a new flavor.

The way to prepare pakoras is quite simple, we can find the ingredients in any supermarket and, if you want to reduce the fat content of this dish, you can also prepare it on the grill or even in the oven. Of course, the flavor changes a little, but it will still be a tasty and slightly healthier recipe.

Preparation of vegetable pakoras

As we have been telling you, pakoras can be prepared with all types of vegetables. This recipe, in fact, can be a good way to use whatever we have in the refrigerator before it goes bad. We offer you a recipe based on zucchini , carrots , potatoes , onions and spinach , but you can use your favorite vegetables .

1. The first thing we will do is peel the potato and wash it. Place a colander on a deep plate and scrape the potato over it to get rid of excess water.
2. Then we cut the carrot, onion and zucchini into julienne strips. We also chop the spinach leaves into not very small pieces (although if we want to hide the spinach flavor, it is advisable to chop finely). We proceed to gather all the cut vegetables in the same bowl.
3. We add grated garlic, yellow curry powder , cayenne powder (you can do without it if you don’t want anything spicy), cumin, nutmeg, salt and pepper. We also add the chickpea flour and then the very cold water. We proceed to mix well, trying to ensure that the ingredients are as integrated as possible.
4. Now it’s time to shape the pakoras. We are going to try to make them look like small disks. So that they don’t fall apart, a good trick is to flour our hands. Then we cover them with a little kitchen paper to remove any excess water they may have so that they do not jump in the pan.
5. Once we have our pakoras assembled, we begin to brown them over medium heat until they are golden brown on both sides.
6. Here comes the moment where you must make the decision, if you want them to be more or less fatty. As we have told you, you can grill them or use an amount of oil that covers the pakoras. The result will be different, but so will the fat content.

As you can see, the recipe is super simple and delicious. In addition, it does not have any products of animal origin, so it is suitable for vegans. Although it may seem like it can’t be improved, there are some tips we can offer you to make your vegetable pakoras even better.

Tips for delicious vegetable pakoras

• Accompanying pakoras is a great idea: pakoras are usually accompanied by dipping sauces. From a tomato sauce to a hot sauce , almost anything you put in it is going to be great. But don’t just stop at that, because there are more options. Pairing the pakoras with a little hummus or muhammara is guaranteed success.
• Ingredients to taste: we have already told you before, but the choice of ingredients (and also spices) depends on your tastes. If you prefer one or another vegetable, do not hesitate to change the recipe. There are people who even add cheese or meat, so don’t stop being creative.
• Not everything has to be refried: if you don’t want an exuberant amount of oil in your lives, you don’t even have to grill the pakoras: they can be prepared in the oven. It’s super simple, you just have to put them in a tray for 20 minutes at 170 degrees.

Indian food always leaves us with super good options to prepare in the kitchen with simple ingredients and super powerful flavors. If you like Indian cuisine, you have to try our recipe for dahl or red lentil curry , it is brutal and easy to prepare!