These days I stumbled across a recipe with ethnic charm on the web, the Indian pakora, a typical appetizer of the tradition made of thinly grated or sliced vegetable fritters, spices, and chickpea flour. The ingredients had already won me over at first glance, but then obviously the type of vegetables perfectly matched some leftovers I had in the fridge, so the transition from thinking about replicating them to getting into the kitchen was immediate! I always like these easy solutions for my diet, with lots of essential micronutrients that, throughout the day, combined with macronutrients, ensure the health of our body! These Indian fritters, among other things, are considered a very aromatic street food, perfect if enjoyed hot within an appetizer or as a vegan or vegetarian second course accompanied by sauces like classic hummus or chickpea and pepper hummus, and even with cannellini, fennel, and capers hummus, etc. For example, I paired them with a really intriguing yogurt and mustard sauce that I will tell you about in the coming days! They are also gluten-free and lactose-free, so ideal for those who are intolerant to these foods! You can bake them as I did, but also use an air fryer or, for a super tasty version, fry them in a pan with a dash of oil.
Source: [Elena from the blog Cuori Veggie with my personal modifications]
If for dietary reasons or just because you love these vegan and vegetarian recipes because you enjoy varying dishes on the table and creating always different combinations, you absolutely must try these recipes as well:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 22 fritters
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Air Frying, Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients:
- 7 oz cabbage
- 5 oz savoy cabbage
- 1/2 leek
- 1 shallot
- 1.75 oz cauliflower (florets only)
- 1.5 cups chickpea flour
- 0.6 cup water
- to taste garlic powder (or 1 whole clove crushed)
- to taste sweet paprika
- to taste turmeric powder (or cumin)
- 1.35 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pinches salt
- to taste pepper
Tools:
⚠ THIS RECIPE INCLUDES ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it costs you nothing extra!
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Parchment Paper
Steps:
Wash all the vegetables thoroughly under running water, slice them thinly julienne style with the help of a knife, even the cauliflower tops, only the florets, and transfer them to a large bowl.
Season with garlic powder, paprika, and turmeric to taste.
Add two pinches of salt, the pepper, the previously sifted chickpea flour and pour the water gradually.
Gently mix with a ladle to combine the mixture, which should be soft but not liquid, then, with always wet hands, take an abundant spoonful of mixture at a time and form your fritters.
Carefully arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper well spaced apart and drizzle the surface with a swirl of oil. Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for 20′, then turn them over and continue baking for another 5′ or until fully golden.
Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes and serve them with your favorite sauces.
And voilà, the Indian pakora, that is the baked vegetable fritters, are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉Indian pakora is usually a fried appetizer that should be eaten piping hot, so if you opt for this cooking method, you can store the fritters in the fridge for up to one day. If, however, you choose to bake them or use an air fryer, they can be stored in refrigeration-safe containers for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
👉Indian pakora is usually a fried appetizer that should be eaten piping hot, so if you opt for this cooking method, you can store the fritters in the fridge for up to one day. If, however, you choose to bake them or use an air fryer, they can be stored in refrigeration-safe containers for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Tips, Notes, Variations, and Suggestions
🟣 If you prefer, you can fry the fritters in a pan with plenty of seed oil as per the original recipe. In this case, a few minutes per side will suffice or until fully golden.
🟣 You can replace chickpea flour with rice flour or with all-purpose flour and enrich the fritters with other spices to your liking like cumin, smoked paprika, and other aromatic herbs you have available, such as mint and basil.
🟣 You can replace chickpea flour with rice flour or with all-purpose flour and enrich the fritters with other spices to your liking like cumin, smoked paprika, and other aromatic herbs you have available, such as mint and basil.
