Pakora Pancakes with Garden Herb Chutney

Pakoras are a variety of Indian fritter. They can be made with meat, seafood, veggies or all of the above. The main flour is “Besan,” or Chickpea Flour and I like to add a bit of rice flour for texture and crunch (a choice that also keeps this recipe naturally Gluten-free). The batter used for these pakoras is on the thinner side, which is how they turn from fritters to pancakes. If you’d like to make fritters, simply reduce the amount of water used in this recipe by a half cup or so (you’ll have to do some experimenting with the measurements). The sauce is a cooling, herbaceous joint that tames the warm, crunchy, salty pancakes (it’s also great on lamb, chicken and beef.)

I was the recipient of a giant Zucchini that my mom pawned off on me from her ever-abundant late summer garden. The thing weighed about 3 pounds and was literally as long as my girlfriend’s torso. Zucchini is a great option, but these can be made with any vegetables. Simply slice the veg thin, sprinkle with salt to remove moisture and soften, the pat dry and use in place of the zucchini. The full recipe is below. I hope you dig it!

Peep the video and subscribe to my YouTube channel here! 🤘🏼 Adam

Yield: 12-14 Pancakes, 2 cups Chutney

Print

Pakora Pancakes with Garden Herb Chutney

Ingredients

Pakora Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cup Chickpea Flour
• 1/2 cup Rice Flour
• 1 3/4 cup Water, more as needed
• 1 Medium Zucchini, cut into strips
• 1/2 Red Onion, sliced thin
• 2 Garlic Cloves, grated
• 1 inch knob Ginger, grated
• 1 Tbsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 cup Cilantro
• Kosher Salt, to taste

Garden Herb Chutney

• 1 1/2 cup Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
• 1 Green Chili, seeds removed
• 1 Garlic clove
• Juice of half a Lime, more to taste
• 1 cup Fresh Soft Garden Herbs (cilantro, mint, basil, etc.)
• Kosher Salt, to taste

Instructions

Pakora Pancakes

1. Toss the zucchini and onion with salt in a colander, let sit and drain for 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
2. Add chickpea flour, rice flour water, ginger, garlic, spices and pinch of salt to a bowl and mix until smooth. Dump the drained zucchini and onion into the batter and mix again to form a veggie-filled pancake batter. The batter should have medium viscosity; not too runny, not too thick.
3. Fill a large skillet with neutral oil and bring up to medium heat, fry until crispy on both sides. Remove from the oil. Drain on paper towels or a wire rack and season with salt. Serve with Garden Chutney.

Garden Herb Chutney

1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender and purée until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.