Chicken Pakora

To make these simple appetizers, here’s all you need:

Ingredients:

Gram  flour (besan flour) from an indian store

1lb of chicken cut into cubes

1 packet of fresh coleslaw mix (the dry stuff from the salad section at your local grocery store). If you can’t find any, 1/2 cabbage and 2 shredded carrots will do the trick too.

Spices: Turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, tandoori powder, salt

Fresh coriander

Vegetable or Canola Oil

How to:

1. Defrost the chicken beforehand so it’s ready when you want to knock up these appetizers in minutes.

2. Mix the coleslaw in with the chicken cubes.

3. Add a 1/2 of a teaspoon of all the spices listed above including 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add a handful of fresh chopped up coriander to taste.

4. Add about 5 tablespoons of gram flour (note, pakoras won’t work with any other flour). Add some cold water to the mixture and stir in properly ensuring there are no bubbles in the flour. You want the consistency to be smooth, heavy and not too watery otherwise it will be difficult to fry.  Judge for yourself how much gram flour and/or water you need to keep adding to get the texture and consistency right.

5. Using a spoon or your hand, just pick up the mix and place it into hot oil. Cook for longer on a lower heat so that the chicken is cooked thoroughly. You can then turn the heat up and fry them until golden and crispy.

Recommendations: Pakoras are best served hot and can be served with a variety of sauces including any type of hot sauce/chilli sauce, plain yogurt, or tamarind sauce.

That’s it! Enjoy!

Recipe & image by Sabina Huq