Party pakoras with tamarind dipping sauce

In an Indian household, pakoras and parties go hand in hand – you can’t have one without the other. They can range from simple, one-ingredient onion bhajis to bread pakoras, which are essentially paneer and chutney sandwich triangles that are battered and fried. These party pakoras are an Indian-Mexican remix – the mellow paneer contrasts against tangy jalapeños. Once you’ve mastered the method, the combinations are endless. Try butternut squash, sage leaves, spring onions and potatoes; halloumi, preserved lemon, baby spinach and shallots; or prawns, lemongrass, carrots and mint.

45 MINUTES | MAKES 10 12 | EASY |

TAMARIND DIPPING SAUCE

lime 1, zested and juiced (you’ll need 1 tsp of zest and

3 tbsp of juice)

mint leaves 10g, chopped

soft dark brown sugar 2 tbsp

fine sea salt ½ tsp tamarind pulp or paste 4 tbsp tomato ketchup 4 tbsp

PAKORAS

sweetcorn 2 x 198g tins, drained

jalapeños in brine 50g, chopped

paneer 125g, cut into 1cm cubes

coriander 30g, chopped

red onion 1 large, sliced into thin rings chilli powder or chaat masala a pinch, plus extra for seasoning BATTER

gram flour 160g

amchoor 1 tsp

garam masala 2 tsp

ground turmeric ½ tsp

cumin seeds ½ tsp, crushed

fine sea salt 1 tsp

bicarbonate of soda ¾ tsp

ginger finely grated to make 1 tsp

sunflower oil for deep-frying

1 For the dipping sauce, blitz the lime zest and juice, mint, sugar and salt with 75ml of water in a small food processor or blender until you have a paste. Tip into a jug, then whisk in the tamarind pulp and ketchup, and chill for 30 minutes. Mix together the sweetcorn, jalapeños, paneer, coriander and red onion until evenly combined, then set aside.

2 For the batter, tip the gram flour, amchoor, garam masala, turmeric, cumin seeds, salt and bicarb into a large bowl, then whisk together to combine. Add 140-160ml of water, whisking until you have a thick batter. Whisk in the ginger, then rest for 5 minutes. Tip the pakora mixture into the batter and mix to coat.

3 Fill a deep pan no more than a third full of sunflower oil and heat to 165C or until a cube of bread browns in 45 seconds. Use your hands to squeeze together a golf-ball-sized piece of the battered pakora mixture, then repeat with the rest of the mixture. Carefully drop the pakoras, in batches, into the hot oil and fry for 4-5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. If they start to fall apart in the oil, add a little extra flour to the mixture.

4 Drain on kitchen paper, then sprinkle with a pinch of chilli powder. Serve hot with the dipping sauce on the side.

PER SERVING 12 188 kcals | fat 7.3G | saturates 2.2G carbs 22.2G | sugars 8.9G | fibre 2.9G | protein 7.1G | salt 1.1G