Traditional Indian cauliflower pakora (gobi pakora) are easy, tasty and super quick to make. Cook up some of these flavour-packed little bites for a tasty starter or snack to get the party going …
Serves: 6
Prep and cook time: 20 – 30 mins
What You’ll Need:
- 1 medium-large cauliflower (about 800g), trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- Sunflower oil, for frying
For the batter:
- 150g gram flour (chickpea flour)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- Generous pinch cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
For the mango raita:
- 6 heaped tbsp plain Greek yoghurt
- A large handful of coriander, chopped (optional)
- 2 heaped tbsp Tracklements Indian Mango Chutney
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
What To Do:
- Start by mixing the raita ingredients together, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Chill.
- For the batter, put the gram flour, baking powder, ground spices and salt into a large bowl.
- Stir gently to mix and get rid of any lumps. Slowly whisk in 175ml cold water, until you have a smooth batter. Add a little more water if necessary – different brands of gram flour will vary in how much they absorb but err on the side of “thicker”.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the batter making sure they are thoroughly coated.
- Heat about a 1cm depth of oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough to turn a cube of white bread light golden brown in 30–40 seconds, start cooking the pakoras, a few at a time so you don’t crowd the pan. Place spoonfuls of battered cauliflower – just a few florets per spoonful – into the hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, until crisp and golden brown on the base, then turn over with a slotted spoon and cook for another minute or two.
- Drain the pakoras on kitchen paper, then serve piping hot with the raita for dipping.
Air fryer version:
- Turn the air fryer to 180°C and arrange the coated florets on parchment paper in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 10-12 mins.
- Gently toss them and air fry for a further 2-3 mins until crisp. Serve immediately.