Air Fryer Recipe

Spicy Vegetable Pakoras

• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 15 min
• Total: 25 min
• Serves: 4
• Category: Snacks
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Good vegetable pakoras should have a slightly craggy appearance, with rough edges that crisp up beautifully. An air fryer is ideal for this dish as it uses fast convection to remove moisture and a light oil coating to help the gram flour brown, ensuring a perfect texture.

Ingredients

• 120g gram flour
• 25g rice flour
• 1 medium onion, about 140g, thinly sliced
• 120g potato, peeled and cut into very thin matchsticks or coarsely grated
• 90g carrot, coarsely grated
• 80g white cabbage or pointed cabbage, finely shredded
• 50g spinach, roughly chopped and squeezed dry if washed
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 15g fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½–1 tsp chilli powder, to taste
• ¾ tsp fine salt, plus a little extra after cooking if liked
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for brushing or spraying
• 60–90ml cold water, added only as needed

Method

1. Put the sliced onion, potato, carrot, cabbage, spinach, chillies, coriander and ginger in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle over the salt, toss firmly with your hands, then leave for 10 minutes.
3. Add the gram flour, rice flour, cumin seeds, ground coriander, garam masala, turmeric, chilli powder and baking powder.
4. Mix thoroughly, squeezing the vegetables lightly as you go, until the flour starts to cling in rough patches.
5. Add the lemon juice and 2 tbsp oil, then add cold water 1 tbsp at a time until the mixture just holds together when pressed.
6. Preheat the air fryer to 190°C for 3 minutes.
7. Line the basket with a perforated parchment liner or lightly oil the crisper plate.
8. Using two spoons or damp fingers, form heaped tablespoon-sized mounds, about 35–40g each.
9. Set them in the basket with at least 2cm between each one and keep the shapes uneven.
10. Brush or spray the tops with a thin film of oil.
11. Cook at 190°C for 10 minutes, until the tops look set and the highest points are beginning to brown.
12. Turn each pakora carefully with tongs or a thin spatula, brush or spray the second side with a little more oil, and cook for another 5–7 minutes.
13. Transfer to a rack for 3 minutes before serving.
14. Taste one while hot and finish with a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lime if the spices taste muted.
15. Serve with chutney or mint yoghurt.

Nutrition

Calories: 250

• #vegetable
• #spicy
• #air fryer
• #pakoras
• #snack