CARROT PAKORAS

Carrot pakoras image

Forget food waste and use up bits of limp veg to make these sensational pakoras. Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, courgettes and cabbage also work well

Provided by Tom Kerridge

Categories Starter

Time 25m

Yield Makes 4 small or 8 large

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

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
100g natural yogurt
2 tbsp lime pickle (roughly chop if it's too chunky)
small handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped

Steps:

Tip the carrots and shallots or onion into a colander set over a sink, and toss with 1 tsp sea salt. Leave to wilt for 10 mins. Meanwhile, for the dip, combine the yogurt, pickle and mint. Chill until ready to use.
When the vegetables have wilted, wrap in a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess water. Tip into a bowl along with the coriander, spices and egg, and mix well. Add the cornflour and stir until all the veg is evenly coated in thick batter - it's important that all the cornflour is mixed in properly.
Fill a deep, wide pan no more than two-thirds full of oil and heat to 180C, or until a cube of bread dropped in browns in 20 seconds. Working in batches, carefully lower in two spoonfuls of the pakora mix at a time, well spaced apart, and fry for 2 mins on one side, then 1-2 mins more on the other side until golden and crisp. Transfer to kitchen paper using a slotted spoon to drain. Serve hot with the dip.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 265 calories, Fat 14 grams fat, SaturatedFat 2 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 30 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 7 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 4 grams protein, Sodium 1.49 milligram of sodium