Crispy Onion & Spinach Vegetable Pakoras

⏱ 35 min · Serves 4

Golden, craggy fritters of gram flour-coated onion, potato and spinach, spiced with cumin, turmeric and chilli. Shatteringly crisp outside, soft and savoury within — best eaten hot with a spoonful of mint yoghurt.

Per serving: 395 kcal · 13.0g protein · 41.0g carbs · 20.0g fat

Ingredients

• 150g gram flour (besan)
• 2 tbsp rice flour (for extra crunch)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 medium potato (about 150g), coarsely grated
• 80g spinach leaves, shredded
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• 150-180ml cold water
• 800ml sunflower oil, for frying
• 150g natural yoghurt
• 2 tbsp mint sauce or chopped fresh mint
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Whisk the gram flour, rice flour, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Add the sliced onions, grated potato (squeezed of excess water), spinach, green chilli and fresh coriander. Toss well with your hands so everything is coated in the dry flour.
3. Add the cold water a little at a time, mixing until you have a thick batter that just clings to the vegetables — it should not be runny. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 175C, or until a drop of batter sizzles and rises in a few seconds.
5. Drop in rough tablespoons of the mixture, 5-6 at a time. Fry for 3-4 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp all over.
6. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat with the rest, letting the oil come back up to temperature between batches.
7. Stir the mint into the yoghurt with a pinch of salt. Serve the pakoras hot with the mint yoghurt and lemon wedges.