Spiced vegetable fritters

Pakoras, or spiced vegetable fritters, have long been one of my favourite Indian snacks – they’re delicious and a great way to sneak more vegetables into your diet.

Serves 2

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp chilli
• ¾ cup water, approximately
• 2-3 cups vegetables, chopped – a mix of cauliflower, broccoli, onions, spring onions, potatoes
• 1 cup rice bran oil, approximately
• Unsweetened yoghurt,
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint,
• Lemon wedge, to serve

1. Make the batter in a large bowl by mixing the flour and spices together, then slowly whisk in enough water until you have a runny batter that is about the consistency of pouring cream. Leave to settle for 30 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
2. Cut cauliflower and broccoli into pieces roughly the size of large walnut shells. Slice onions and potatoes.
3. Pour enough oil into a saucepan to get a depth of 5-7cm. I use a small saucepan to save using too much oil and cook in batches.
4. When ready to cook, drop vegetable pieces into chickpea batter and coat well. Using a slotted spoon, lower battered vegetables into the hot oil. Do a test run with your first one to check the oil temperature. Cook until dark brown and crunchy. Remove and set aside to drain on a paper towel.
5. Serve the fritters on a plate with a sauce made from the yoghurt, mint and a squeeze of lemon juice.

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