Ingredients
Pakora
¼ bunch silverbeet makes approx. 2 cups shredded leaves and 1 cup finely sliced stalks. You could also use rainbow chard or big spinach
2 brown onions peeled and finely sliced into half-moons
1 cup chickpea besan flour, you’ll find this what your local Indian or Middle Eastern grocer
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp mild curry powder
1 garlic clove peeled and finely grated
Pinch of chilli flakes or powder, optional
Oil for deep-frying, we used about 600ml sunflower in a medium sized pan.
Mint yoghurt
1 cup natural or greek yoghurt
¼ cup fresh mint finely chopped
Summary
We know deep frying at home is a faff… but we make no apologies for suggesting (insisting) you do sometimes! If you’re thinking “these silverbeet pakoras look like bhaji”, you would be quite correct – because the name is regional (Bhaji in the West of India, Pakora in the North), and the appeal is universal. This recipe is by local foodie Alice Zaslavsky, who was inspired by a spinach version she had at Asma Khan’s Darjeeling Express in London. Make them this long weekend!
Silverbeet Pakora
Wash your silverbeet well from root to stem. Remove the leaves from the stems by tearing from the top of the glossy leaves towards the stem (surprisingly satisfying).
Finely slice the leaves and stems, and combine in a bowl with the sliced onion. Add a pinch of salt and massage together for a minute to help soften.
In a separate bowl, sift together the chickpea flour and baking powder. Add in spices, garlic, a teaspoon of salt flakes, and half a teaspoon of pepper (and chilli, if using), whisking to combine. Add 1 cup of cold water and whisk again to make a smooth batter. Your batter should be the consistency of thickened cream. Fold the chard and onion mix into the batter using a wooden spoon.
Frying tips: The mess and stress of deep frying can be made a little less intense by a well organised station. Before you start, clear the decks and get EVERYTHING you need ready (oil in pan, batter close to pan so you don’t have drips, draining tray next to that, slotted spoon, salt for seasoning). It’s all about keeping the activity contained and streamlined. If you happen you have a friend/family member/pet around, get them on the team, tag team in batches and it’ll go by in a flash!
Heat oil to 160℃ in a medium, high-sided saucepan for deep-frying. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, test the heat by gently blobbing in some batter – if it sizzles and starts turning golden quickly, you’re good to go.
Grab 2 soup spoons and scoop up some batter. Using both spoons, push together to form a grassy golf ball (it’ll be really loose, don’t worry just try and keep it in one clump), and gently lower into the hot oil. If the pakora falls apart in the oil, it can also mean that the oil is too hot. To resolve this, turn the oil down and wait a few minutes before adding another tester in.
Once you get the heat right, add in 4 pakora to shallow-fry at a time, as you don’t want to overcrowd your pan. Check that they aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan, by agitating with a spatula, and then keep frying until golden brown, flipping until golden all over. Once we got our temp right they took about 2.5 mins on each side – aim for that! Drain on a wire rack or absorbent paper towel. Finish with a sprinkle of salt flakes.
For the minted yoghurt, mix the yoghurt and mint together and taste for seasoning.
Serve warm with minted yoghurt on the side – SO YUMMMMY!
Hints and Tips
Frying tips: The mess and stress of deep frying can be made a little less intense by a well organised station. Before you start, clear the decks and get EVERYTHING you need ready (oil in pan, batter close to pan so you don’t have drips, draining tray next to that, slotted spoon, salt for seasoning). It’s all about keeping the activity contained and streamlined. If you happen you have a friend/family member/pet around, get them on the team, tag team in batches and it’ll go by in a flash!
