pakora

[TheAwfulToad]

It seems some of you have bought big bags of gram flour to make chicken tikka. Don't let it go to waste! It's best kept in the fridge, or it goes rancid. Alternatively, you can use it up making these tasty snacks. They are not particularly low-carb, but they're not carb bombs either. And they're great for dipping in yoghurt or raita. This recipe makes 10-12pcs, so perhaps 4-8g net carbs each, depending on your veg.

If any readers are from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, I'll probably get shouted at for my "incorrect" spice mix, which is more of a Sri Lankan blend. I suggest grinding it from fresh seeds if you have them and keeping some in a little jar in the fridge.

I've specified onions here because onion pakora are a perennial British favourite, but you can substitute absolutely anything you like, including green leaves. The aim is to adjust your vegetable quantities so that the batter is just barely holding things together - pakora are not supposed to be those weird bready balls that you get from the supermarket.

- Two big onions, sliced (~250-300g)

- About 100g gram flour (chickpea flour)

- 1tsp coriander powder

- 1/2tsp cumin powder

- 1/4tsp crushed fennel seeds

- 1/4tsp fenugreek powder (or fresh chopped fenugreek if you can get it - mint leaves or coriander leaves would also work)

- 1/4tsp turmeric powder

- 1tsp salt

- 1tbsp melted butter

- Finely-diced chili, ginger and garlic to taste (try one large clove of garlic and about the same amount of ginger)

Put the salt on the onions first to extract some of the water from them - let them sit in a non-metallic bowl for about 20 minutes. Squeeze them to expel any remaining water into the bowl, then mix in the flour, spices and butter. Add more water by the tablespoon, until the onions/vegetables are well coated but without big lumps of floury batter. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.

Shape approximately into rounds and fry in hot oil as you would anything else (about 180'C - for a rough guess, check that it sizzles when you drop in some of the mixture, but should not be smoking).

[BridgeGirl]

That recipe should go in your guide. In fact. I may even have to go in search of an over-large pack of gram flour

[Hollysgran]

Thanks x

[sunny369]

oooh, this really appeals to me, and interesting to hear you can put leaves in it, I would never have thought of that

[gonnadoitnow]

How do you know it's rancid without cooking with it? Can you tell?

[TheAwfulToad Ambassador in reply to gonnadoitnow]

Taste a bit while it's still fresh - it should be more-or-less tasteless, with just a hint of chickpeas. When it goes off it starts to taste bitter.

[gonnadoitnow in reply to TheAwfulToad]

Thanks. I have an bag of it, but never thought to keep it refridgerated. Somehow at odds with flour. Would it smell? I'll have to check. Don't fancy the taste test! Maybe bin it and start again.

[TheAwfulToad Ambassador in reply to gonnadoitnow]

No, it won't smell.

It's not an either/or thing where it's either rancid or it isn't. It happens gradually, as with any oil-containing product. Your best bet is just to keep cooking with it until you notice an off taste

It just occurred to me that your climate is different to mine. It's 30'C all day every day here, and an opened bag of gram flour starts tasting weird after 3-4 months if you don't refrigerate it. But if you're storing your flour at 20 degrees or below, it'll last longer than mine does!

[TheTabbyCat]

Thanks sharing for that recipe, I bought a back of flour for something ,but I've never opened it. I'll have a go at making these,they sound delic. 😋

[dinglebell]

Don’t forget chillies 🌶

[TheAwfulToad Ambassador in reply to dinglebell]

good point - I missed them out of the recipe!

[dinglebell in reply to TheAwfulToad]

😊