Vegetable Pakoras with Tamarind Ginger Chutney

Vegetable Pakoras with Tamarind Ginger Chutney. Originating in India, pakoras are vegetable fritters usually served as snack or appetiser at roadside eateries and restaurants. 

Makes 12

5 cups thinly sliced/shredded vegetables (use a selection of onions, capsicum, carrot, broccoli, beans)

1½ tsp cooking salt

½ cup shredded mint leaves

1½ cups besan (chickpea) flour

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp ground coriander

Vegetable oil, to pan-fry

Baby coriander sprigs, to garnish

Tamarind Ginger Chutney

80g tamarind pulp

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

½ tsp fenugreek seeds

8 curry leaves

⅓ cup grated ginger

1 long red chilli, chopped

2-3 tbsp grated palm sugar or brown sugar

2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves

To make tamarind ginger chutney, place tamarind pulp in a small bowl. Add 1½ cups boiling water to cover and set aside for 20 minutes, mashing as it soens. Strain and press out any seeds. Discard pulp.

Heat a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Add oil, mustard and fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves, then cook for 1 minute or until seeds begin to pop. Add ginger and chilli. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until just starting to colour. Pour in tamarind liquid. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or until thickens. Add sugar. Season with salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until a chutney consistency. (It will thicken as it cools.) Stir in coriander leaves. Let cool.

Place vegetables in a large bowl. Toss through salt and set aside for 5 minutes to soen slightly. Stir in mint. In a jug, combine flour, cumin and fennel seeds, and ground coriander. Stir in 1½ cups water and pour over vegetables.

Heat a barbecue flat plate over a medium heat and grease generously with oil. Cooking in batches, dollop ¼ cups of mixture onto flat plate and flatten slightly to form patties. Cook for 2-3 minutes then flip and cook for a further 2 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.

Serve pakoras hot, garnished with coriander, and with tamarind ginger chutney on the side.