Pakoras are a delicious way to use up seasonal veggies | Canada Voices

In the height of summer, when my tiny garden beds are exuberant with green onions, chives, kale and fresh herbs – low-maintenance and prolific things to grow in southern Alberta – I make a lot of pakoras.

The crisp veggie fritters can be made with just about anything. I most often use some combination of potato, carrots, green onion, cauliflower (leaves, too), cabbage, spinach and kale, along with a handful of cilantro (stems, too). In fall, root veggies such as beets and rutabaga are perfect. It’s a great way to use veggies that need cooking, and when you have bits to use up – perhaps a chunk of cabbage, a tiny beet and a half a bunch of wilting cilantro – a small quantity of each goes a long way.

I have memories of making pakoras with B.C.-based chef and cookbook author Tahera Rawji (who taught me to put frozen hash browns in my samosas – a trick I use to this day). My method has streamlined over the decades since, and I now simply chop and grate whatever veg I have into a bowl, salt them to help draw out some of their moisture and add about half as much gram (chickpea) flour, season with whatever curry spice blend I happen to have along with a bit of baking powder (for lightness) and salt, and a splash of water – just enough to help everything stick together. The mixture should be mostly vegetables, with a minimal amount of batter there for structural support.

I then drop it by the spoonful into about half an inch of oil heated in the well-used cast iron pot that lives on my stovetop. The process is quick and simple – perfect for lunch or a snack, or to feed friends who pop by.

And along my back fence, rhubarb plants provide a delicious, free base for a sweet-tangy chutney: Chop and simmer a few stalks with a bit of onion or shallot, some grated fresh ginger and garlic, and in keeping with the method of cooking using visual ratios, about half as much sugar as the rhubarb, and half again as much apple cider vinegar as the sugar. A chopped jalapeño adds heat, and I like to toss in a big pinch of black mustard seed and a cinnamon stick.

Cook until everything breaks down and it looks like chutney, adding a splash of water if it’s too thick. (Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.)

Make the most of summer produce with this ‘swicy’ fruit salad

Summer vegetable pakoras

This is more guideline than recipe – measurements don’t need to be precise. If you like, squeeze some lemon or lime juice over the veggies, which will add tang and react with the baking powder, making them even lighter. Serve pakoras hot, straight out of the pot, with rhubarb, mango, cilantro or tamarind chutney.

• thin-skinned potatoes
• cauliflower
• carrot
• green (or white/red/yellow) onions
• spinach, kale or chard
• chives
• cilantro (stems, too)
• gram (chickpea) flour
• curry spice blend
• baking powder
• salt
• canola or other neutral vegetable oil, for cooking

The key is to grate, finely chop or shred your veggies into fairly uniform sizes so they all cook at the same time. Denser vegetables like potato and carrot can be grated, and the rest chopped, thinly sliced or julienned into a bowl. Use any combination, but I like to anchor it all with a small grated potato.

Sprinkle the veggies with salt, toss/massage the mixture a bit with your hands, and let sit for a few minutes. Add about half as much gram flour as there are veggies and season with whatever spices you like – I find a curry blend easy – along with about 1/4 tsp baking powder (more if it’s a bigger batch) and a big pinch of salt.

Toss to combine, and add a bit of water – about a quarter as much as the flour, to start – how much you need will depend on how much moisture the veggies have. You don’t want a runny pancake-like batter – the goal is for the flour to be moist enough to just coat the veggies and help them clump together.

In a shallow, heavy-bottomed pot, heat about half an inch of oil over medium-high heat until a bit of the pakora mixture sizzles when you dip it in. Drop the mixture by the small spoonful – I scoop it up on the side of a spoon so the pakoras are more long than round – into the hot oil and cook until deep golden on one side, then flip and cook until golden on the other side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and if you like, sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately, with chutney.