How to make onion or potato pakoras in your air fryer

 

Do you remember the days when you had a deep fat fryer? I only used mine to make bhajis and pakoras but then this was in the last century and I'd often have friends round for curry nights. The kids loved pakoras too.. I'd drop spoonfuls of bhaji mix into bubbling oil and watch as they sunk and then rise to bob about whilst going golden and forming the random shapes of spice monsters. 

 This was my second attempt in the air fryer, and the results are great. Onion pakoras work best.

Ingredients:-
Garam flour
Teaspoon of baking powder per pound of garam flour
Spices:-
Cumin
Coriander
Chilli powder
Turmeric
Salt
Pepper
Ginger
Garam Masala
Chopped fresh green chillis
Fresh coriander

If you haven't got one or two of these spices or you want less or more chilli, don't worry, the mix is your version.

Mix the above thoroughly with the flour.

For onion pakoras really finely cut the onion, I used a mandolin. then mix with your flour mix. Add a little water at a time, this is important as you want a very stiff and sticky mixture, so that it takes effort to push it around the mixing bowl. Push it round tho so the flour is well mixed in.

For potato pakoras grate peeled potatoes, then wash and rinse them, then squeeze the potatoes between your hands until you can't get much more water out of them. Then mix with your flour mix. Add a little water at a time, this is important as you want a very stiff mixture, so that it takes effort to push the mixture around the bowl.

Using a large spoon and a smaller one make small pakoras and if your air fryer has a tray arrange a few on there, brush with rapeseed oil or spray them and put them in for about 10 mins at about 200 then remove and repeat with the remaining blobs. Then put them all on the racks and bake again until they resemble the top pic. Try one or two to test and be aware that the potato pakoras will take longer to cook.

Always serve with raitas and dips, my favourite are:-

Cucumber, tomato, chilli, fresh coriander and salted peanuts - finely chopped cucumber and tomato, with a drizzle of white wine vinegar and a sprinkle of salt.

Yoghurt with, tamarind sauce or aubergine relish or with mint sauce and salt.

Cucumber with or without turmeric in yoghurt, sprinkled with chilli powder..

I used to draw a distinction between pakoras and bhajis in that pakoras had the spice in the mix where as when I used to make bhajis I'd dip them in a batter which had the spices in, but the flour was without spices in the mix. Anyway I can't make the latter as that required a long lost deep fat fryer.