INGREDIENTS:
- 1 1/2 cups chickpea flour
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground garam masala
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 rutabagas, shredded
- 2 turnips, shredded
- 1 yellow onion, quartered and finely sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- Canola or vegetable oil, for deep frying
- Dipping sauce
- 10 dates, pitted
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 Tbsp tamarind paste
DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, sift flour. Add salt, turmeric, garam masala, baking soda, pepper, and paprika and stir to combine. Add eggs and water and stir until batter is thick and resembles pancake batter. Add rutabaga, turnips, and onion and stir well to coat vegetables.
In a deep heavy-based frying pan, add oil and heat to 350°.
In batches, carefully lower tablespoons of vegetable-batter into oil and fry until pakoras are crisp, golden brown, and vegetables have cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer pakoras to a cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining batter.
To make the dipping sauce, in a saucepan over high heat, add ½ cup water and dates. Cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool. I