Cashew nut pakoras with green dipping sauce

“These pakoras are crisp-edged, highly-spiced and everything I want to eat with friends,” says cookery writer, Anna Jones.

“I like to eat these with my lemon and cardamom dhal on or biryani. They are also great wrapped in a chapati with the green sauce and some crunchy shredded veg.” 

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Nutrition Facts

Cashew nut pakoras with green dipping sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 120 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 6mg2%

Sodium 76mg3%

Potassium 104mg3%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 248IU5%

Vitamin C 104mg126%

Calcium 37mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Cashew nut pakoras with green dipping sauce

The ultimate crispy snack

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish, starter

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 12 pakoras

Calories: 120kcal

Author: Anna Jones

Equipment

• Frying pan
• Blender

Ingredients

For the pakoras

• 100 g cashew nuts
• 1 red onion thinly sliced
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 handful of fresh curry leaves
• 1 green chilli thinly sliced
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger finely grated
• 3 cloves of garlic finely grated
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• groundnut or vegetable oil for shallow frying
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 80 g chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp ghee softened
• salt
• black pepper

For the green sauce

• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• bunch of coriander stalks and leaves
• 1/2 bunch of mint leaves picked, stalks discarded
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 clove of garlic peeled
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tsp honey or agave syrup
• 1 unwaxed lime juiced
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

To serve

• lime dressed salad leaves optional

Method

• Measure the cashew nuts into a small, heatproof bowl and cover with double the volume of hot water. Set aside.
• Next, make the green dipping sauce. Toast the mustard and cumin seeds in a dry deep frying pan until the cumin smells fragrant and the mustard seeds start to pop. Remove from the heat and tip into a blender with the rest of the green dipping sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth (adding up to two tablespoons of cold water to loosen if you need – it should be like thick yoghurt), then taste and add more salt, lime or honey to balance. Cover and set aside.
• Mix the onion, chilli powder, curry leaves, chilli, ginger, garlic, fennel and cumin seeds in a large mixing bowl and give it a really good scrunch. Season generously with salt and black pepper and leave to one side. Drain the cashews well and add to the bowl.
• Add 3cm-depth of oil to the frying pan and heat gently over a low-medium heat. Add the bicarbonate of soda, chickpea flour and ghee to the mixing bowl along with 60ml of cold water and mix until it comes together in a chunky batter.
• Test to see if the oil is ready by dropping a little of the mixture into the hot oil. If it sizzles and rises to the top it is ready. Add tablespoons of the mixture to the hot oil, a few at a time so as not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes each side, using a slotted spoon to turn them over. Drain the cooked pakora on kitchen paper and continue until all the mixture has been used.
• Season with a pinch of salt while warm and serve with the dipping sauce and some lime-dressed salad leaves if you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 104mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

One: Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones, photography by Issy Croker, is published by Fourth Estate.

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