Pakora (Vegetable Fritters with Kale)

I spent several months in my youth in India, where I developed a genuine passion for food and refined my cooking skills. And I especially fell in love with Indian snacks! In fact, several Indian-inspired snack recipes are frequently on the menu, like spicy roasted chickpeas, sweet mango lassi popsicles, curried apple turnovers, Indian Ice Cream (Kulfi), and traditional roti. But we are SUPER crazy over Pakora, AKA Indian fritters.

Gluten-free recipe – Like most Indian recipes, the batter for frying Pakora uses gluten-free chickpea flour.

Amazing flavor – Kale has an earthy, lightly sweet flavor that is delicious with the fragrant combination of Indian spices. Pakora fry up into perfectly savory, crunchy fritters that you just can’t stop eating!

Delightful for dipping – The deep veggie flavor and fried goodness make Pakora perfect to dip in all kinds of creamy, cool/, bright, or zesty sauces. We prefer both!

Bonus: This recipe is also versatile! Use kale or other veggies to make the dish, and serve as an appetizer, side dish, or party snack with any number of dipping sauces (more on that later).

• 4 cups packed kale with stems removed and cut into 1-2-inch pieces
• 1 cup chickpea flour gram or besan flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground kashmiri chile or 1 tsp paprika + 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• oil for frying I like peanut oil for this recipe