My favourite pakora recipe

These fritters are one of the highlights of the Indian snack repertoire. I make no apology that they are high in calories they are too delicious for an apology. Called philourie in southern India, bhajia in Bengal and Bangladesh and pakora in northern India, when freshly cooked they are a beautiful golden colour. They should be very light and very tasty. To achieve this the following observations must be adhered to: 1 No less than 50% of the flour used must be gram flour. 2 The batter must not be too wet. 3 The fritters must be deep-fried. Shallow frying makes them stodgy. 4 The oil temperature must be 190°C/375°F. 5 The 'filling' ingredient must be raw for optimum crispness. The batter is combined with any filling of your choice. The most common, and my favourite, is onion, but you can use any alternative. Some suggestions include potato, aubergine, carrot, turnip, parsnip or mooli (all best shredded). Small cauliflower florets, mushrooms, peppers and chillies work well. So do paneer cubes. Dry or fresh fruit is excellent. I once had some amazing apple philouries in Mysore. There are innumerable recipes for the batter. Here are three (one of them vegan). Each has a subtle difference. You might like to try each one, then perhaps try combinations to create your own preference. This method gives irregular-shaped fritters.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet