Vegan Gluten-Free Cauliflower Pakoras

I cannot get enough of these vegan gluten-free cauliflower pakoras! When I was diagnosed with celiac, I stopped eating samosas. This was very, very sad for me. I turned to pakoras, because they are traditionally made with chickpea or besan flour. The only problem is that so many places fry them in the same oil as gluten containing dishes, which means I have to stay away for cross contamination reasons.

When I finally tried frying foods at home (I was always too scared, keep reading to find out why) I made two things: fried ‘chikn’ and pakoras. These little pieces of heaven might be my favourite of fried foods.

What are Pakoras?

Pakoras originate from India. They are typically a mix of veggies, like cauliflower and onion, battered in gram flour. Gram flour includes chickpea and besan flour, however they can differ a bit. This is why I suggest in my recipe to slowly add water, because some gram flours take less water than others. These pakoras are seasoned with cumin seeds and garam masala, a spice blend originating from India. I purchase a blend of garam masala that is produced and sold by a local Indian restaurant in Winnipeg. I suggest testing a few different blends to find which you like best. Alternatively, you can make your own blend.

You can find a good garam masala recipe in Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen. I owe so much to Vegan Richa whose cookbook has taught me so, so much. Her cookbook, along with cookbooks by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, are the most used in my kitchen. The recipe for pakoras in Vegan Richa’s book are a little different to these ones (they use some different spices and the primary veggie is onion), but I wouldn’t have been able to even explore cooking Indian dishes without the guidance of that book. So, thank you Vegan Richa!

Frying Foods sans Deep-Fryer:

We should talk about frying food. I mean, who doesn’t love a good fried snack?

I was terrified of frying foods until recently. A year-ish ago, I started a grease fire making popcorn! I only used a tablespoon or so of oil, could you image what would happen with a cup of oil? I sucked it up one day because I really, really wanted to make some vegan fried chikn. It worked, so I tried pakoras. Since then, I’ve built some confidence while frying foods! But, I always keep a full box of baking soda and a lid next to my stove, just in case.

I never add enough oil to allow a complete submersion of my food. That’s only really because I think it’s such a waste of oil (and also money!). I often fill a deep pot with a few inches worth of oil and then flip my foods to ensure they are evenly fried. Do whatever you’d like, though!

I also recommend having a baking sheet lined with paper towel nearby. You’ll want to have easy access to it once you remove your fried deliciousness. You should also keep salt nearby because you’ll want to immediately sprinkle these beauties when they’re done frying. Apparently the salt helps draw out some of that extra oil (and salt just makes things more tasty!)

I hope you enjoy these little lumps of deliciousness!

Grab More Great Snacks from the Blog:

–Southern Fried Tofu Strips
-Cauliflower Wings
–Baked Jackfruit Croquette

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Vegan, Gluten Free Cauliflower Pakoras

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Vegan and Gluten Free Pakoras - cauliflower, red onion, and cilantro are tossed in a chickpea flour batter to make a perfectly spiced and delicious snack!

Servings: 12 pakoras

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chickpea flour (or besan)
• 1/4 cup corn flour (not corn starch)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt, + more for garnish
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup water
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 cup cauliflower, chopped into very small pieces
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• neutral oil, for frying

Instructions

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, spices, and salt.

2. Slowly add water to this flour mix. Start with 1/4 cup and add by tablespoons until you have a thick batter (I tend to use 6 tbsp of water in total, but chickpea flours can vary and that influences how the absorb liquid). 

3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients, making sure that everything is properly covered.

4. Time to fry! Read my notes about deep frying in my blog post, or just do whatever you normally do to deep fry. Essentially, you want to heat a good few inches of a neutral oil (like canola) over medium-high heat in a deep pot. 

5. Take a spoonful of pakora batter (1 1/2 - 2 tbsp) and drop it into the oil (you might want to use another spoon to help slide it along). The oil should bubble, but not too vigorously. I tend to do 4 pakoras a batch.

6. Fry until golden on all sides, making sure to flip the pakoras over to ensure even frying. This will take about 5 minutes. 

7. Place pakoras on paper towel to help absorb some of that extra oil. Immediately sprinkle with salt - this helps with taste, cause salt, but also apparently helps draw out some of that extra oil.

8. Serve immediately with chutney - my favourite is mango chutney!

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