These plant-based indulgent dishes are the ultimate guilty pleasures
Carrot & Herb Pakoras with Mango and Herb Chutney
Per serving: 208 cals I 10.6g fat
Serves 4
Ready in 40 mins
For the chutney:
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ mango, peeled and roughly
chopped (about 150g prepared weight)
1 green chilli, deseeded
and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp salt juice of 1 lime
10g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
leaves from ½ bunch of coriander
leaves from ½ bunch of mint
For the pakoras:
flavourless vegetable oil,
for deep-frying
3 carrots, grated
1 small onion, grated
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp asafoetida (optional)
½ bunch of coriander,
leaves only
½ bunch of mint, leaves only
75g chickpea flour
sea salt flakes
1 To make the chutney, toast the cumin seeds and mustard seeds in a dry frying pan until they smell incredibly fragrant, and the mustard seeds start to pop. Tip into a saucepan with all of the other chutney ingredients except the herbs, cover, and cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes, adding a splash of water if the mango looks as though it’s catching on the pan. Allow to cool for five minutes, then scrape into a food processor. Add the coriander and mint, and whizz into a bright green chutney.
Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2 Heat an 8cm-depth of oil in a saucepan over a medium heat (make sure the oil comes no more than one-third of the way up the pan, for safety reasons).
3 Meanwhile, toss the carrot and onion with the spices, then add the herbs and mix to combine. Sift the chickpea flour into the bowl, then add up to 150ml water, a little at a time, mixing as you go, to create a thick batter that coats all of the vegetables.
4 Test to see if the oil is hot enough; if a drop of batter bubbles vigorously and rises to the surface immediately, the oil is ready. Drop spoonfuls of the pakora mixture into the hot oil, frying no more than four at a time, and use a slotted spoon to turn them after two minutes of cooking. Cook for a further minute on the other side, then lift the pakoras out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat to cook all of the pakoras.
5 While the pakoras are cooling, sprinkle over the salt. If you want to keep them warm for a while before serving without them going soggy, keep them in a low oven with the door left slightly ajar. Serve the pakoras with the chutney on the side.
Ales
