Silverbeet Pakora

¼ bunch silverbeet makes approx. 2 cups shredded leaves & 1 cup finely sliced stalks
2 brown onions peeled and finely sliced into half-moons
1 cup chickpea besan flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp mild madras curry powder
1 garlic clove peeled and finely grated
Pinch of chilli flakes or powder optional
Oil for deep-frying I like grapeseed or rice brain oil

Minted yoghurt
1 cup natural or greek yoghurt
¼ cup fresh mint finely chopped

Wash your silverbeet well from root to stem. Remove the leaves from the stems by tearing from the top of the glossy leaves towards the stem (surprisingly satisfying).

Finely slice the leaves and stems, and combine in a bowl with the sliced onion. Add a pinch of salt and massage together for a minute to help soften.

In a separate bowl, sift together the chickpea flour and baking powder. Add in spices, garlic, a teaspoon of salt flakes, and half a teaspoon of pepper (and chilli, if using), whisking to combine. Add 1 ¼ cup of cold water and whisk again to make a smooth batter. Your batter should be the consistency of thickened cream. Fold the chard and onion mix into the batter using a wooden spoon.

Heat oil to 160℃ in a wide and high-sided saucepan for deep-frying. If you don’t have a cooking thermometer, test the heat by gently blobbing in some batter - if it sizzles and starts turning golden quickly, you’re good to go.

Grab 2 soup spoons and scoop up some batter. Using both spoons, push together to form a grassy golf ball, and gently lower into the hot oil. If the pakora falls apart in the oil, it can also mean that the oil is too hot. To resolve this, turn the oil down and wait a few minutes before adding another tester in.

Once you get the heat right, add in 4-5 pakora to shallow-fry at a time, as you don’t want to overcrowd your pan. Check that they aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan, by agitating with a spatula, and then keep frying until golden brown, flipping about until golden all over. Drain on a wire rack or absorbent paper towel. Finish with a sprinkle of salt flakes.

For the minted yoghurt, mix the yoghurt and mint together and taste for seasoning.

Serve warm with minted yoghurt on the side.

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