I love Veggie Pakora! Whenever Adam and I went to the Mughal Gardens Restaurant in Baltimore (which was often), Veggie Pakora was the first thing that I ordered. I’m not too sure which chutney I prefer with them… the tamarind or the cilantro so I provided both for you here. I love both chutneys as well (notice a pattern). Enjoy!
Ingredients...
1 ¼ c up garbanzo flour
¼ c up rice flour
2 t easpoon salt
1 ½ t easpoons curry powder
1 t easpoon cumin
¼ t easpoon baking powder
1 c up water
1 c up broccoli, finely chopped
1 c up sweet potato, peeled and finely chopped
1 c up zucchini, finely chopped
1 c up onion, finely chopped
1-2 Jalapenos, finely chopped
½ c up cilantro
Instructions...
01In a large bowl combine flours, salt, spices and baking powder. Add water to form a thick batter. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
02Next, mix in all the finely chopped vegetables making sure everything is evenly coated by the batter.
03In a heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to 375 F. Carefully spoon a tablespoon of batter into the heated oil. Allow the pakoras to cook for a few minutes before turning; they should be golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow pakoras to drain on a dish towel before serving.
04Serve warm with tamarind chutney or cilantro-mint chutney.
Tamarind Chutney...
1 Cup tamarind pulp
2 Cups water
½ Cup brown sugar
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
½ Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon ground ginger
1 Teaspoon garam masala
½ Teaspoon cayenne powder (more or less to your taste)
In a small saucepan bring water and tamarind to a boil and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain and process the tamarind in a sieve to remove all the pulp from the seeds.
In a separate pan toast the cumin, garam marsala and ginger until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tamarind pulp, sugar and salt and simmer for 10 minutes so the flavors combine. If the sauce is too thick thin it out with a few tablespoons of water.
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.
Serve with pakora or samosa.
Cilantro-Mint Chutney...
1 Bunches cilantro
1 Bunches mint
1 Chopped jalapeno
¼ Inch ginger, peeled and chopped
Juice of ½ a lime
½ Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon cumin
1 Teaspoon sugar
¼ Cup water (optional)
Pick the mint leaves off the stems... there should be twice as much cilantro as mint. Put the everything in the bowl, a food processor, or blender and puree until a thick paste paste is formed.
Use the water to control the desired consistency.
Please let me know how you like our Veggie Pakora recipe via our Contact Us page, our Facebook Page, or Instagram.