Indian
Vegan
SpicyGobhi pakora
Cauliflower fritters
ਗੋਭੀ ਦੇ ਪਕੌੜੇ: cauliflower florets in a crackling ajwain and chilli besan batter
When the first winter cauliflowers arrive in the Punjab sabzi mandi, half of them end up as gobhi pakore, fried on a rainy afternoon or on a cold Sunday evening and eaten straight from the kadai with mint chutney and a steaming glass of tea. The batter is thick and rough with ajwain, chilli and a spoon of rice flour, so it fries into a craggy, crunchy shell around a soft, sweet floret. The usual mistake is dropping raw, thick florets into the oil: the batter is brown long before the stalk is cooked, so give the florets a two-minute dip in boiling salted water first and dry them well. Chef's tip: fry them once until pale gold, rest for five minutes, then fry again for a minute just before serving; the second fry keeps them crisp for much longer.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 290 kcal
Ingredients
For the cauliflower
- 1 ⅛ lb cauliflowercut into 4 cm florets
- 1 tsp saltfor the blanching water
For the batter
- 4 oz besan (gram flour)
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)crushed between your palms
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 2 green chilliesfinely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh gingergrated
- 2 tbsp fresh corianderchopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ¾ cup cold waterroughly
For frying and serving
- 3 ¼ cups sunflower or mustard oilfor deep-frying
- 1 tsp chaat masala (optional)
- ½ cup green chutney (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Bring a pan of water to the boil with 1 tsp salt, add 1 ⅛ lb cauliflower and blanch for 2 minutes, just until the stalks lose their raw crunch. Drain and spread on a cloth to steam dry; wet florets make the batter slide off.
8 minStep 2: In a bowl mix 4 oz besan (gram flour), 2 tbsp rice flour, 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds), 1 tsp red chilli powder, ¼ tsp ground turmeric, ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing), 2 green chillies, 1 tsp fresh ginger, 2 tbsp fresh coriander and 1 tsp salt.
3 minStep 3: Whisk in ¾ cup cold water a little at a time to a thick batter that coats a spoon and drops off slowly in a ribbon. It should not run off like cream.
3 minStep 4: Pour 3 ¼ cups sunflower or mustard oil into a heavy kadai or deep pan so it is no more than a third full and heat over medium-high to 350°F on a thermometer. No thermometer? Drop in a 2 cm cube of bread: it should sizzle at once and turn golden in about 60 seconds. Stay at the stove the whole time the oil is hot and keep children and pets away.
6 minStep 5: Turn the florets in the batter so every crevice is coated, then lower 6–8 into the oil one by one, without crowding. They should sizzle loudly and rise to the top within a few seconds.
2 minStep 6: Fry, turning, until deep golden and crisp, 4–5 minutes per batch. The sizzling quietens and turns to a soft crackle when they are done; a pakora that sounds wet needs another minute.
12 minStep 7: Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper and keep frying the rest, letting the oil come back to temperature between batches. Turn off the heat as soon as you finish.
3 minStep 8: Sprinkle with 1 tsp chaat masala and serve hot with ½ cup green chutney and tea.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gobhi pakora take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of cauliflower?
- Broccoli, same weight.
- What can I use instead of red chilli powder?
- Cayenne, half the amount (hotter).
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