Pakoras

© 2015 by Jennifer Katzinger. All rights reserved. Excerpted from Gluten-Free & Vegan for the Whole Family by permission of Sasquatch Books. Metric conversions added by The Cook’s Cook.

A comforting blend of onions, yams, and sweet potatoes is suffused with warming spices and drenched in a batter of protein-rich chickpea flour before being fried to crisp perfection. These pakoras are a tasty way to feed your kids more onions, which help us bounce back from colds and coughs. Onions contain calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and are a good source of vitamin C and dietary fiber.

1. In a large bowl, combine the onions, yam, and sweet potatoes. Add the salt, chile powder, garam masala, turmeric, chiles, coriander, and cumin and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the chickpea flour and mix again.

   Add 177 ml (3⁄4 cup) cold water to the mixture, then add a tablespoon more at a time as needed, stirring well, until a thick batter is formed. (The batter should be thick but drop easily from a spoon.) Add the cilantro and stir well.

   Fill a large saucepan one-third full of oil. Heat the oil to 232° C (450° F).

   Test the heat by cooking just one pakora first. Use a soup spoon to put spoonfuls of the batter into the oil. Cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to drain. Serve hot with a favorite chutney.