Traditional Emirati food is pretty much traditional Arabic/Middle Eastern food, but I did notice that a few of the dishes were very similar to Indian dishes that I have had before. Maybe that is due to the fact that over 50% of the population is from the Indian subcontinent, maybe it's a coincidence? Doesn't really matter, good food is good food. So, I picked a recipe that sounded like a fun way to sneak some veggies into dinner in a delicious way. And it was yummy.
Pakora
recipe adapted from Emeratican Kitchen
For the recipe you will need:
The batter-
- 3/4 cup chickpea flour (I found this at both an Indian market and a Mexican food market)
- 1/4 cup Corn Meal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1 clove garlic- crushed or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water
- Oil for frying
- 1/2 onion- shredded
- 5 sprigs of lemon thyme (stems removed)
- 1 small carrot- shredded (forgot it in the pic)
- 1 small potato- shredded
- 2 small zucchini- shredded
2. Heat up about an inch and a half of oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
3. Drop spoonfuls of batter in oil and fry until golden brown- about 2-3 minutes each side. Drain and sprinkle with a little salt.
These were pretty tasty. I don't make deep-fried food very often because it's not supposed to be very healthy, but these didn't actually absorb much grease at all. After I was done frying I had almost the same amount of grease left in the pan. The batter was very good- no one noticed that they were made with chickpea flour. Now, I'd have to imagine that regular flour would work just fine, but I love finding unique ingredients. These would be a great way to get rid of excess or leftover veggies, maybe even with some meat in the batter too. The combinations are endless- Go crazy!