It is cold, cloudy and it is almost the weekend (at least in the Chicago area). Too lazy to cook an elaborate meal for the family so I decided to whip some pakoras to enjoy with dairy-free Indian Tea.
I remember when I was in India and even for a long time in the US, we would prepare and eat pakoras regularly. It is one of the most favorite snacks prepared in the Indian kitchen whether it is cold, rainy, gameday or something else. It is equally popular on a lot of restaurant menus too We would not only prepare the pakoras using cauliflower but also use a variety of other vegetables like spinach, green chili, potatoes, paneer, etc. and we would deep fry them in OIL.
Frying in OIL adds a lot of unwanted calories and saturated fat to the pakoras that our bodies really don’t need. Using an air-fryer or oven, helps me prepare the pakoras without having to add the extra calories and fat to it. Why not enjoy it guilt-free.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-size cauliflower head; washed and cut florets
- 1 small white onion; finely chopped
- 2 serrano peppers; finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp ginger; finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro; washed and finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 1/4 cup water
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 380 F.
2. In a mixing bowl, add onions, serrano pepper, ginger, cilantro, chickpea flour, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, hing, lemon juice, salt, and water. Mix well to make a batter.
3. Add cauliflower to the batter and coat cauliflower florets evenly with the batter
4. Set up a baking tray with parchment paper, place floret 1 inch apart on the baking tray.
5. Place the tray in the oven for 30 min and then flip the pakoras and put them back in for another 30 mins. You can increase or decrease the baking time depending on the crispiness of pakoras you prefer.
6. Enjoy this healthy oil-free snack/appetizer with green chutney.
