Food for thought: Gluten-, dairy-, soy-free spinach and onion pakoras
By Kyra Hoggan
One of the downsides of a gluten-, dairy-, soy-free diet is that I sometimes crave something doughy, like perogies, or fritters, or dumplings.
But most of the options I’ve found taht we’re allowed are really just gratuitous carbs, with little nutrition or flavour – expect for these pakoras, which are common in Indian cuisine and come with as many different recipes and ingredients as there are varieties of food.
They’re made of chick-pea flour(also called garbanzo or besan flour, found in most supermarkets), they’re super-easy to make, and they’ve got a ton of flavour. (PS – these are fabulous as appetizers to impress friends at dinner parties or potlucks, but I wouldn’t recommend them for a date unless you both eat them. They’re, um … let’s say aromatic).
Ingredients
2 cups spinach, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 cups chickpea flour
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper (I’d use 2 tsp, but that’s getting pretty hot)
1 tsp garam masala (the recipe to make this spice mix at home is here: http://castlegarsource.com/news/food-thought-gds-free-bacon-curry-quick-homemade-garam-masala-24898#.Ub4wB5wdLtQ)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 and 1/2 cup water
Sunflower or safflower oil for frying
Put pan with at least an inch of oil on to heat at medium-hihg heat (my burner was at 6, if that helps). The oil is hot enough when you can flick a drop water at it, and it sizzles.
While oil is heating, throw everything else except the water into a bowl, then slowly add the water until you have a paste that’s goopy enough to drip from the spoon (it shouldn’t hold together like dough) but not wet enough to be like a thick soup. Think porridge, if you’ve ever been unfortunate enough to have to eat that nasty glop.
Using a teaspoon, drop toonie-sized chunks into oil without crowding them (you don’t want them to stick together) and cook until they’re a dark golden brown, just a couple of minutes. Drain on a paper towel or baking rack. I served it with sweet chili sauce, but it would be excellent with a curry sauce (I think I’d actually prefer that), or a spicy chutney – what you’re looking for in a sauce is a bright, tangy high note to counter the oil and spice in the pakoras.
They work as a meal when served with a salad, or as appetizers (in which case, I make them tiny bite-sized morsels, because they’re quite heavy and could leave people full before they get to the main course).
Let me know what you think!
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