Cauliflower pakora
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On a very wet day, Mum would made us pakoras. They always tasted that much better on a rainy day – all of us siblings sitting on the veranda and putting the world to rights and talking about the Indian cricket team. This is one of Mum’s many splendid variations.
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Serves 4–6
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Sunflower oil, for frying
150g gram flour (chickpea)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dried pomegranate seeds (anardana)
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 green chillies, finely chopped including seeds
1 medium cauliflower, broken up into small florets (don’t discard the small green leaves which are attached to the cauliflower – pull them and chop them up)
handful of fresh coriander, chopped
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Half-fill a heavy-based deep frying pan with the oil and heat over a medium heat until 175–180 degrees centigrade.
Meanwhile, make the batter. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and then add the salt, cumin seeds, dried pomegranate seeds, turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, chopped green chillies and just enough water to make a thick batter.
Add the remaining ingredients to the batter and mix together well, ensuring that the ingredients are well coated.
If you don’t have a thermometer to check the temperature of the oil, drop a tiny spoon of the mixture into the oil. If it floats to the surface, your oil is ready – if it sinks to the bottom, is needs to be hotter.
Once the oil is up to heat, take a tablespoon and drop a few spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil and fry for 2–3 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off the excess oil. Repeat cooking in these small batches until all of the mixture has been used.
Serve hot with a cup of chai, plus chutney or tomato ketchup on the side.
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