Pakoras
While gluten-free baking requires carefully trying to recreate the structure of a baked good made with a glutinous grain, other gluten-free cooking is relatively easy. There are a myriad of gorgeous gluten-free grains with unique textures, hues and varying flavors, all of which are delicious and offer powerful nutrition, many of which are ground into flours.
A favorite dish of mine is piping-hot pakoras, a blend of vegetables, chickpea flour, and seasonings. Pakoras are a traditional Indian appetizer I often make even if I am not serving additional Indian fare. They make a scrumptious and fabulous light lunch served fresh from the pan with bright cool crisp salad. 
Pakoras
© 2015 by Jennifer Katzinger. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Gluten-Free & Vegan for the Whole Family by permission of Sasquatch Books. Metric conversions added by The Cook’s Cook.
A comforting blend of onions, yams, and sweet potatoes is suffused with warming spices and drenched in a batter of protein-rich chickpea flour before being fried to crisp perfection. These pakoras are a tasty way to feed your kids more onions, which help us bounce back from colds and coughs. Onions contain calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and are a good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber.
- Servings Makes 4 to 6 servings as an appetizer
Ingredients
- 3 medium onions, peeled and diced
- 1 medium yam, peeled and diced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 green chiles, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 184 grams (2 cups) chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Canola oil, for frying
- Chutney, for serving
Preparation
1. In a large bowl, combine the onions, yam, and sweet potatoes. Add the salt, chile powder, garam masala, turmeric, chiles, coriander, and cumin and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the chickpea flour and mix again.
2. Add 177 ml (3⁄4 cup) cold water to the mixture, then add a tablespoon more at a time as needed, stirring well, until a thick batter is formed. (The batter should be thick but drop easily from a spoon.) Add the cilantro and stir well.
3. Fill a large saucepan one-third full of oil. Heat the oil to 232° C (450° F).
4. Test the heat by cooking just one pakora first. Use a soup spoon to put spoonfuls of the batter into the oil. Cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to drain. Serve hot with a favorite chutney.
Jennifer Katzinger
Jennifer Katzinger is the author of Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book, Honey & Oats: Everyday Favorites Baked with Whole Grains and Natural Sweeteners, and the popular Gluten-Free & Vegan series, including Gluten-Free & Vegan Holidays, Gluten-Free & Vegan Bread, and Gluten-Free & Vegan Pie. She is the founder of Seattle’s well-known gluten-free and vegan bakery/café, Flying Apron. She lives in Langley, Washington.
Courtesy photo
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