Sparkle Kitchen: Chickpea Fritters & Yogurt Sauce
Recently a subscriber asked about the Indian dish that Daddy serves in the At Home with Martin & Sylvia story "No Boo Boo Day."
(Daddy is always making such interesting dishes, isn’t he?)
It was served with yogurt sauce ...
“Finally the project was complete and no one had gotten any more boo boos. They felt successful in several ways. All four were hungry and tired from their day’s work, and excited to have Daddy’s chickpea pakoras and Indian rice — a special weekend meal for particularly hungry children.“
Yes, the dish is called “Pakoras”! It’s typically an Indian appetizer or snack: fried fritters made of any variety of vegetable.
The ones from Martin and Sylvia’s house are made with a base of chickpea flour and include grated vegetables. It’s a quick and easy recipe.
Here’s how you make them:
Chickpea Fritters (Pakoras)
Ingredients
2 cups chickpea flour
1 cup warm water
½ cup finely grated carrot
1 cup peeled & finely grated potato
1 cup finely diced onion (or grated, if you’re feeling brave)
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
coconut or avocado oil for frying
Directions
Place the flour in a large bowl, and add the warm water slowly while beating with an electric mixer. A thick batter will form. Place the bowl in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
Mix the onion, carrot, potato, parsley, salt, and spices into the batter. Again, the batter will be thick.
Fill a heavy pot with 2 inches of oil, and heat to 300 degrees (or until very hot but not smoking). Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of batter into the hot oil and fry for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown. Depending on the size of your pot, you can fry multiple fritters at once, as long as they are not crowded. Drain on paper towels.
Yogurt Sauce (Raita)
Ingredients
1 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 tablespoons minced mint
Directions
Mix all of the ingredients together. Serve with chickpea fritters as a dipping sauce or a dressing.
Chickpea fritters are popular in our house plain (above), but you can serve them up fancy as well.
Savory, crispy-on-the-outside, and protein rich — they are always a huge success. What I like best: they’re a stick-to-the-ribs sort of meal for busy kids.
And don’t be afraid of the occasional fried dish! With quality oil, such as cold-pressed avocado oil, at the right temperature, it’s a good way to get fat in the diet, which is important for growing kids. And besides, it’s delicious.
If you liked this recipe, here are others you might enjoy:
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About the Author
Lisabeth Sewell
Lisabeth Sewell has worn many hats at Sparkle over the years, from Sparkle Kitchen Blogger to Editorial Director to Doer of All Odd Jobs. Her primary role is as CEO.
