Chickpea Batter-Fried Vegetables

By Martha Rose Shulman

Chickpea Batter-Fried Vegetables
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
50 minutes
Rating
4(31)
Comments
Read comments

I learned this wonderful chickpea batter for fried vegetables from the cookbook author and teacher John Ash, who demonstrated his version of it recently at the 2010 World of Healthy Flavors conference at the Culinary Institute of America in California’s Napa Valley. It is based on a popular Indian snack called pakora. I much prefer the nutty, crisp chickpea flour coating to other flour-based batters, and those who cannot tolerate wheat will be very happy with it. You can find chickpea flour in Mediterranean markets and Indian markets.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves six

    For the Batter

    • 1cup chickpea flour
    • 3tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1½teaspoons baking powder
    • ½teaspoon salt
    • Pinch of cayenne (optional)
    • 1cup warm water

    For the Vegetables

    • 1bunch or part of 1 bunch broccoli, tops broken into florets, stems peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 3-inch sticks cut into eights if very thick
    • 3carrots, peeled and cut in 3-inch long carrot sticks
    • 1sweet red pepper, seeded and cut in rings or strips
    • 1medium onion, cut in rings
    • Canola oil for frying
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

388 calories; 30 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 353 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. For the Batter

    1. Step 1

      Sift together the chickpea flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Whisk in the water. If the batter is stiff, add more water. Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.

    2. Step 2

      Steam the broccoli florets and stems for four minutes until just tender. Refresh with cold water, and pat dry.

    3. Step 3

      Heat 3 or 4 inches of canola oil in a wok, frying pan or deep fryer to between 360 degrees and 375 degrees. It’s important that the oil be hot enough that the vegetables will cook quickly without absorbing much oil. Use a deep-fry thermometer, and make sure to bring the oil back up to temperature between batches. Whisk the batter, which will have separated. Working in batches so that you don’t crowd the pan, dip the vegetables in the batter to coat thoroughly, and carefully place in the hot oil. It should take less than two minutes to achieve a golden brown crust. Carefully remove from the oil using a deep-fry skimmer, tongs or a spider, and drain on paper towels, then transfer to a baking sheet. Keep warm in a 200-degree oven while you continue to cook the remaining vegetables. Serve once all the vegetables have been cooked.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: You can make the batter an hour before frying the vegetables, but you should serve the vegetables shortly after you fry them. They will not remain crisp if they sit for too long.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

Ratings

4 out of 5
31 user ratings
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Comments

Art

I use Seltzer water for a lighter, tempura like batter.
Fresh eggplant out of the garden came out like Aubergine-scented air.
Baby green beans, Green peppers, Green tomatoes, it's all good this way.

Asmodeus

I used the batter to make fish tacos with chunks of tilapia. Upped the cayenne a bit. Lovely crispy, but slightly puffy finish. Delicious. This is my best no fail batter. Key is keeping the oil on temperature.

MRG

Used string beans, mild onion slices, (!) radishes, and fresh parsley stems which I had on hand. Not bad. It would be helpful to have a few words describing the consistency of the batter - cream-like? Fried in an iron skillet with enough oil (grapeseed) to barely cover veg as have no thermometer; gauged temp by time to browning; worked out ok. Served as a meal with a sprinkling of salt and a few drops of hot sauce. Flavorful chickpea flour is the winner here, which adds some protein too.

France

Ice cold carbonated water from the fridge. The batter is like air. Warm water makes it heavy. I made bhajias with chickpea flour and corn flour and ice cold carbonated water. You need to whisk and have the pan oil hot. No wandering off. They were little clouds of heaven. The difference between good and great

Sabrina Bhagwan

Flavored with some masala chat spice and served with chutney like one would for Indian pakoras.

MRG

Used string beans, mild onion slices, (!) radishes, and fresh parsley stems which I had on hand. Not bad. It would be helpful to have a few words describing the consistency of the batter - cream-like? Fried in an iron skillet with enough oil (grapeseed) to barely cover veg as have no thermometer; gauged temp by time to browning; worked out ok. Served as a meal with a sprinkling of salt and a few drops of hot sauce. Flavorful chickpea flour is the winner here, which adds some protein too.

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