Kale Fritters (Pakora)
These crunchy, spicy fritters are called pakoray in Urdu. Some of the best I have had are the ones made by the Gujarati Aunty at the tuck shop in my school in Nairobi. Made with gram flour, (chickpea flour) these are enjoyed in my native Pakistan, and India and Bangladesh, too.
You will have to gauge how much water to add, to get that creamy-yet-thick consistency. These are flat, (many of you thought they were latkes) they are so delicious and crunchy when you prepare them this way, and you don’t have to use all that oil to deep-fry them!
Kale Fritters (Pakora)
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients
Fritters
- Neutral oil to shallow fry
- ½ cup Tuscan kale chopped into thin ribbons (thick vein removed)
- ½ cup red onion thinly sliced into ½ moon shapes
- ½ cup potato grated on the large holes of a box grater
- ½ tsp. chilli pepper
- ¾ tsp. sea salt
- ⅛ tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. whole cumin seed
- 2 Tbsp. cilantro finely chopped (leaves and stalks)
- 1 Tbsp. mint julienned
- ¾ cup chickpea flour you can also use besan, which is roasted chickpea flour
- ½ + ¼ cup cold water divided
- Chipotle Dip
- 1 cup Greek yoghurt full-fat (you can also use sour cream of mayo)
- 1 small can chipotle in adobo
Instructions
- Fritters
- Combine all ingredients, except for water, in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix well to combine, ensuring that the chickpea flour has coated all the vegetables and herbs well.
- Add ½ cup of cold water and stir till it transforms into a thick batter. If it looks stiff, thin it out with one tablespoon of water at a time.
- Heat ½-inch of oil in a large skillet, on medium-high heat, to 350F degrees.
- Test the oil: a tiny drop of batter should sizzle. Working in batches, carefully drop the batter, tablespoon by tablespoon into the oil.
- Fry about 60-90 seconds per side, until the fritters turn golden-brown and are cooked through.
- Remove the friters from the oil and transfer them to a large platter lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter. Enjoy hot and sizzling.
Dip
- Whizz yoghurt, 1 chipotle, and 1 Tbsp. of the sauce in a blender of mini food processor. Add salt, to taste.
