Courgette pakoras

Make these moreish deep fried courgette pakoras as a vegan snack or starter. Gently spiced, enjoy with your favourite mango or tamarind chutney

  • Prep:10 mins
    Cook:20 mins
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 84
  • fat 4g
  • saturates 1g
  • carbs 8g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 2g
  • protein 3g
  • salt 0.2g

Ingredients

  • 2 medium courgettes (about 500g), grated
  • 1 red onion, grated
  • 175g gram (chickpea) flour
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • ½ small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
  • sunflower oil, for deep-frying
  • coriander, tamarind or mango chutney, to serve (optional)

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl with ½ tsp salt, and squidge it all together using your hands. The moisture from the courgettes should help bind everything together; you want a sticky but not overly wet mixture.

  2. Fill a heavy-based saucepan no more than a third full with oil and set over a medium heat until the oil reaches 180C. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, test it’s ready by dropping in a pinch of the pakora mixture. It should sizzle and turn golden brown after 10-20 seconds.

  3. Carefully drop tablespoons of the mixture into the oil, using another tablespoon to help you slide them in. Fry for about 2 mins before turning and cooking for a further 2-3 mins until golden brown, crisp and cooked through. Continue frying in batches until all the mixture has been used up.

  4. Leave to drain on kitchen paper. You can keep the cooked pakoras warm in a low oven while you make the rest. Serve immediately with your favourite chutney, if you like.

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