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Spring Onion Pakora
Spring Onion Pakora
If you’ve eaten at an Indian restaurant, you most likely have had pakora of some sort. Pakora consists of the main ingredient fried in a chickpea batter and served with a green chili chutney. My favorite use of pakora is to batter spring onions. Other ingredients that can be used include cauliflower, white onions, potatoes, paneer, and even chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 cups spring onions cut into 2” pieces
- 3/4 cup chickpea flour
- 1 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- 2 green chilies finely chopped
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 4 tbsp water
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix together the chickpea flour, rice flour, and dry spices.
- Mix in the green onions, ginger paste, sesame seeds, green chilies, and water. The batter should be very thick.
- Heat up 2” of vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat. Using a cookie dropper, drop scoops of the batter into the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for 3 minutes. Gently flip the pakoras and fry on the other side for 2-3 more minutes.
- Drain on paper towels.
Cashew Curry
Cashew Curry
Here’s another great Sri Lankan curry that is vegan, but very filling and satisfying. This curry’s main source of protein happens to come from cashews and green peas. They are simmered in coconut milk with curry powder and other spices such as turmeric and cayenne. This is another curry where the gravy is so good that you’d want to carry around a thermos filled with it. You know; drinkable curry gravy.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 10 oz cashews
- 20 curry leaves
- 3 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup frozen peas
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat up coconut oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 10 minutes.
- Add in the cashews, curry leaves, sugar, cayenne pepper, curry powder, and turmeric. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk. Season with salt. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the peas. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Green Apple Curry
Green Apple Curry
Fruit in curries is very common in Sri Lankan cuisine. This green apple curry has the perfect balance of sweet, tart, savory, and spicy. This vegan curry will satisfy even the beefiest of carnivores; it’s that good.
Ingredients
- 2 Granny Smith apples cut into 8ths
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 jalapeños thinly sliced
- 5 dried red chilies
- 1 tbsp Sri Lankan curry powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilies
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/3 cup apple cider
Instructions
- Heat up the cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, jalapeños, red chilies, bay leaves, and mustard seeds for 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the curry powder, chili powder, and turmeric. Sauté gor 30 seconds.
- Add in the apples, garlic, brown sugar, and salt. Sauté for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk and cider. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 5-10 minutes until the apples are softened.
- Season with salt to taste.
Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder
Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is the base of so many Sri Lankan curries. It is specifically used in curries that contain proteins like beef, pork, lamb, and chicken. It can also used in vegetarian curries. If you want to use the curry powder for fish and seafood, don’t toast any of the spices. Dry toasted spices are too strong for aquatic protein and will overpower the flavor.
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp basmati rice
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 3 tsp whole cloves
- 2 tsp green cardamom seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
Instructions
- Dry toast the rice in a nonstick pan over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients. Toast for 5 minutes; continuously moving the pan to keep the spices from burning. Let cool completely.
- Grind to a powder in a spice grinder.
