Zucchini Pakoras
Anyone with a kitchen garden knows this is the season for trying out new zucchini recipes. We had one lone zucchini on the counter this evening and, since I already had some Indian cooking, I decided to play and make these zucchini pakoras.
I wasn’t sure if they’d work, as I worried the zucchini might be too mushy. I compensated by cutting into a large dice instead of julienne like in my go to vegetable pakoras.
Otherwise this recipe is very similar. The only other difference is the omission of the rice flour (no reason other than I didn’t have any on hand).
They tuned out great! My husband, whose opinion on Indian fare I must defer to, loved them. I also found them delicious and thought they looked great too. Surprisingly, the texture of the zucchini was a big selling point. They held their shape well enough, but were almost creamy when we bit into the pakoras. This provided a really nice contrast to the crunchy fried exterior.
My kids were not convinced. But I’m going to go ahead and chalk that up to zucchini overload these past weeks!
We’ve been harvesting nearly one per day, so I can’t really blame them. At this point the only zucchini they’ll accept again is zucchini bread. Specifically this amazing Ultimate Zucchini Bread recipe from Smitten Kitchen (I highly recommend)!
Because there is so much flavour, these zucchini pakoras are an ideal recipe for the slightly too large zucchini you may not have harvested in time. (Surely I’m not the only gardener who does this!)
We’ll definitely have these zucchini pakoras again. It’s nice to have a rotation of veggie filled sides to serve along with our family favourite Chana Masala or Dals!
Enjoy!
Zucchini Pakoras
Ingredients
- 1 LARGE ZUCCHINI Diced
- 1 SMALL YELLOW ONION Finely chopped
- 1/2 CUP CILANTRO Chopped
- 1 TSP GARAM MASALA
- 1 TSP SALT
- 1/4 TSP CARAWAY SEEDS
- 1 CUP CHICKPEA FLOUR +/- to achieve thick consistency
- 1/3 CUP WATER
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat (about 2 inches deep).
- Dice zucchini and chop onions and cilantro.
- Add vegetables to a bowl and add the spices.
- Add the chickpea flour and mix well.
- Add water a little at a time, stirring well with each addition. You're aiming for a thick batter that coats the Zucchini well.
- Test the oil with a small piece of batter. It should sputter and rise to the top of the oil.
- Add the batter 1 TBSP at a time. Fry 5-6 in each batch until golden brown.
- Drain briefly on a paper towel and then transfer to a plate (to avoid having the pakoras become soggy). Serve hot.
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