"This cauliflower pakora is a popular Indian street food snack. They are vegan and as they are made from gram (chickpea) flour, this is also a naturally gluten-free recipe. They’re crispy, delectable and satisfying and they are also ridiculously easy to make! These vegan snacks will taste great at tea time, with a glass of masala chai."
Crispy cauliflower and broccoli pakoras with three chutneys
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Prep time: 10mins
Cook time: 15mins
Serves or Makes: 3
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 6-8 pieces fresh cauliflower florets (1/2 medium cauliflower divided into florets) (around 400g)
- 6-8 pieces fresh broccoli florets (1 small head of broccoli, divided into florets) (around 400g)
- 1 2/3 cups gram (chickpea) flour (also known as besan)
- 1 teaspoons Himalayan salt
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoons chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 carom (ajwain) seeds
- 1 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1/3 turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoons coriander powder
Method
Step 1
Divide cauliflower and broccoli into florets. Wash them properly.
Step 2
Parboil cauliflower and broccoli florets for 5 minutes (until tender but not falling apart!) and then drain in a colander. Parboiling is very important here if you want your veggies nice and soft and properly cooked. If you skip the parboiling step, you may find that your pakoras will be uncooked in the middle and we definitely don’t want that.
Step 3
Combine all pakora batter ingredients in a bowl: mix gram flour with all spices and baking powder and then add water. Mix well, until you get a smooth, medium-thick pancake-like batter consistency.
Step 4
Quickly dip cauliflower and broccoli florets in pakora batter, one by one. Shake off any excess batter and then gently drop them into the hot oil. These should be deep-fried in a saucepan. Oil should be heated to 180 degrees C (if you have a cooking thermometer). You can test the oil temperature by carefully dipping a bit of chickpea batter into it. If the oil is hot enough, it should start sizzling immediately. Fry cauliflower and broccoli florets in a few batches, until golden brown (about 5-6 minutes). Stir them occasionally to ensure they are evenly cooked.
Step 5
Remove them with a slotted spoon and then drain them on a cooling rack placed over a baking tray. This will allow the excess oil to drain and keep them extra crispy. Nothing worse than soggy pakora! Alternatively, you can leave them on paper kitchen towels for a minute.