Make Anjula Devi’s Perfect Indian Pakoras Recipe:

PREP: 30 Minutes

COOK: 10 Minutes

SERVES: 4-6

Crispy and golden pakora teamed up with hot ‘masala cha’ is a great combination. Enjoy the mouth-watering pakora along with your family or friends. The taste and aroma of the pakora will make your get-together a memorable occasion.

Note – no water is added to create these pakoras, only the water naturally drawn from all of the fresh ingredients.

Ingredients
3 large potatoes, thinly sliced (King Edwards are my favourites)
2 large onions, finely sliced
2 bags baby spinach
1 large bunch coriander, chopped
1 bunch fresh fenugreek, chopped
salt
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp ajwain/carom seeds
1 tsp anardana (dried pomegranate powder)
½ -1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
100–150g besan (chickpea flour)
vegetable oil, to deep-fry

Method 

Place the sliced potatoes and onions in a large mixing bowl and add the baby spinach, chopped coriander, and fenugreek. Sprinkle salt over, and leave in the fridge overnight. (I place a small side plate on top of the ingredients in the mixing bowl with a heavy object on top of the plate to help draw the water from the fresh ingredients. My heavy object is my pestle and mortar!)

Remove from the fridge and you will find that the salt (and your weighted object) has drawn all the water out of the mixture.

Add cumin, ajwain, anardana, red chilli powder, and garam masala, and stir. Then gradually add gram flour until the mixture is the consistency of pancake batter.

Pour vegetable oil into a wok or deep pan. Let the oil heat for a while, and when you feel the oil is hot enough, carefully place spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil.

Once the potato slices are golden in colour, take the pakoras out of the oil, and put them on some kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

Serve, with ‘masala cha’ (spiced tea) and mint and coriander chutney.

For more authentic Indian recipes, Anjula Devi’s fantastic ‘how to’ recipe book comes with  top tips and a glossary of spices, it includes step-by-step instructions for Anjula’s masala base, as well as easy-to-follow recipes for chicken curry, chicken biriyani, stunning samosas and perfect pakoras plus lamb, prawn, vegetarian and vegan dishes, starters, rice, breads and chutneys.  Find out more and buy the book for £5.99 here.

And if you’re looking for the right kit to help you make them, Lakeland have worked with Anjula to create the Authentic India range of products. From flavouring curries to fluffing chapatis, every one is designed specifically for the job in hand.