My bulk Pakora mix

Ramadan Kareem by lovely folk!

For many Asians Pakoras are an essential foodie item on the Ramadan schedule. I’ll admit that as a child I associated these golden nuggets of yumminess with the holy month.

This Ramadan I will be posting recipes I find easy, economical and a bit different to the standard Ramadan feasts we are so used to. And as someone who tries to make healthy eating a part of family life I want to provide recipes I use at home and have tweaked to make them slightly better than the mainstream counterparts. I also like the idea of ‘freestyling’ in the kitchen so I sometimes don’t have exact weights for ingredients just like the average Mama won’t whilst cooking to feed her brood.

I’ll also post shorter articles during the blessed month too. Feel free as always to share the blog posts with your nearest, dearest and folk who love food!

Nowadays I enjoy Pakoras when I want however I know many that spend hours preparing the gram flour mix during the month of Ramadan.

I’m here to suggest that you mix it all in bulk…and cut your work load. Literally!

I make a big batch of Pakora mix to save time and also money. Pre-mixed boxes work out more expensive. The only real convenience they bring to the kitchen is the fact all the spices have been added. That’s it.

Here is my recipe for my Pakora Mix. I’ve made up batches and used them over 2 months so I’ve had no problems at all. I’ve listed the spices I use as standard.

I don’t actually add ‘chili’ in the form of Chili Powder until I’m making a batch of Pakoras. This works for me as I don’t give my daughters lots of chili.

If you are avoiding salt then by all means adjust the recipe to reflect that.

To make a huge batch of Alliyahs Pakora Mix you will need:

4 cups of Gram Flour (that’s chickpea flour aka Basan) sifted into a large bowl
1 TBSP baking powder-sifted into the bowl
2 TBSP salt
1 TBSP dried coriander leaves (heaped)
2 TBSP coriander powder (heaped)
2 TBSP cumin powder (heaped)
2 TBSP carom seeds-whole (heaped)
1 TBSP garam masala powder (heaped)

1) If you haven’t already done it sift the basan (gram flour) and baking powder into a large bowl.
2) Add the spices and stir to eventually distribute the ingredients.
3) Decant the mix into a airtight container.
Your mix is ready to use.

I usually make a test batch of Pakoras so I know if I need to add more spices.

NOTE: to make the Pakora mixture I add 2 TBSP of coriander leaves (finely chopped up) to the mixture.

To use the mix:
There’s two ways I use this mix.

1) Make a thick paste (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon) and dip in your favourite vegetables and deep fry until golden brown.

2) Cut up your vegetables and add 3 tablespoons of the mix. Add a little water and mix to coat the vegetables and create a sticky mix. If the mixture is too gloopy add a bit of water. If you cannot see the Pakora mix and the vegetables are not coated add more mix. It’s a bit of trial and error depending on how much vegetables you are using.

Don’t forget to add some chili powder if you need something a bit more spicy.

Enjoy your Pakoras! What do you usually serve with yours? Drop us a message below.