Saag Aloo Pakora
We're firm believers that any curry can be taken to the next level when served with a delicious side of crunchy pakora. We played around with a bunch of different recipes before landing on this absolute winner. The Saag Aloo brings together the classic combo of potatoes and spinach and is great in summer. It works incredibly well with a delicious coriander chilli chutney.
Serves
Ingredients
For the pakoras
<item-todo-done>20g fresh coriander<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>50g spinach<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>250g potatoes<item-todo-done>
For the batter
<item-todo-done>2 tsp salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp cumin<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp curry powder<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp turmeric<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp bicarbonate of soda<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp garlic powder<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp onion powder<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tbsp apple cider vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4cm piece of fresh ginger<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> vegetable oil for deep frying<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>180ml warm water<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>200g gram flour<item-todo-done>
For the chutney
<item-todo-done>1 tsp garam masala<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp salt<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>30g fresh coriander<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 green chilli<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Juice of 1 lemon<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Deep-sided frying pan l Cooking thermometer (optional) l Line a plate with kitchen paper l Metal tablespoon (not a measuring spoon) l Metal slotted spoon l Powerful blender
Prepare the ingredients
- Coarsely grate the potatoes
- Shred the spinach
- Finely chop the coriander
- Add the potato, spinach and coriander to the batter and stir to combine
Prepare the batter
- Measure all the batter ingredients into a bowl and whisk to a smooth, quite thick batter
- Add the potato, spinach and coriander to the batter and stir to combine
Make the chutney
- Peel and roughly chop the ginger
- Remove the stem from the chilli
- Finely chop the leaves and stems of the cilantro
- Zest the lemon, cut the lemon in half, and squeeze the juice into the blender
- Add all the remaining ingredients, including the lemon zest, to the blender and blend until smooth, adding a splash of water to loosen the mixture if necessary
Time to fry
- Pour the vegetable oil into the frying pan until it's 4cm deep
- Put the pan over a medium heat and heat to 180°C, or until the oil sizzles around the edges when you dip in a wooden spoon
- Use a tablespoon to spoon 4 portions of the batter into the oil keeping some knobbly, gnarly bits to ensure you get a lovely crunchy texture
- Use the slotted spoon to gently turn and move the pakoras around in the oil to achieve an even dark-caramel colour
Finish and serve
- Transfer the pakoras to the lined plate to drain any excess grease
- Repeat to use up all the batter
- Leave the pakoras to rest and cool down for a couple of minutes before serving