Description
Deliciously crispy carrot pakoras are a flavorful Indian-inspired snack made from grated carrots, shallots, and aromatic spices, coated in a light cornflour batter and deep-fried to golden perfection. Served with a refreshing yogurt, lime pickle, and mint dip, these pakoras make a perfect appetizer or teatime treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pakoras
- 3 medium carrots, coarsely grated lengthways
- 2 shallots or 1 onion, finely sliced
- 25g coriander, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Pinch of hot chilli powder (optional)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 100g cornflour
- Sunflower oil, for deep-frying
For the Dip
- 100g natural yogurt
- 2 tbsp lime pickle (roughly chopped if too chunky)
- Small handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Wilt the Vegetables: Tip the grated carrots and finely sliced shallots or onion into a colander set over the sink. Toss them with 1 tsp sea salt and leave to wilt for 10 minutes. This step helps release excess moisture and soften the vegetables.
- Prepare the Dip: While the vegetables are wilting, combine the natural yogurt, lime pickle, and chopped mint leaves in a bowl. Mix well and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Squeeze Out Excess Water: Once the vegetables have wilted, wrap them in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. This is crucial to ensure a crispy batter coating.
- Make the Pakora Batter: Transfer the squeezed vegetables to a bowl. Add the chopped coriander, ground turmeric, cumin seeds, hot chilli powder if using, and the beaten egg. Mix well to combine.
- Add Cornflour: Gradually stir in the cornflour until the vegetables are evenly coated with a thick batter. Make sure there are no dry pockets of cornflour for the best texture.
- Heat the Oil: Pour sunflower oil into a deep, wide pan filling no more than two-thirds full. Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F), or test by dropping a cube of bread in; it should brown within 20 seconds.
- Fry the Pakoras: Working in batches, carefully drop two spoonfuls of the pakora batter into the hot oil, ensuring they are well spaced. Fry for 2 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Drain and Serve: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried pakoras to kitchen paper to drain excess oil. Serve the pakoras hot alongside the chilled yogurt and lime pickle dip.
Notes
- Ensure to squeeze out excess water from the vegetables to avoid soggy pakoras.
- The egg in the batter helps bind the ingredients, but you can substitute with a flax egg for a vegetarian option.
- Adjust the amount of chilli powder based on your spice preference or omit entirely for a milder version.
- Use sunflower or another neutral oil with a high smoke point for frying to achieve the best crispiness.
- Serve pakoras immediately for optimal texture and flavor; they can be reheated briefly in an oven if needed.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Carrot pakoras, Indian snack, vegetable fritters, deep-fried, vegetarian appetizer, spicy pakoras, yogurt dip
