spring has sprung pakoras with pear & mint chutney

Fresh, green and positively bursting with the joys of spring – behold the spring green pakora. A fantastic way of using up any manky old greens that need  bit of attention. My 22 month old ploughed his way through an absolute ton of these for his tea. The pear and mint chutney is very flavourful and a cinch to whizz up.

130g chickpea/gram flour
200g spring greens, finely shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
¼ to ½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
220g yoghurt

1/2 tsp.baking powder
2 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp. garam masala
150-200ml water
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

for the chutney

1 clove garlic
2 spring onions
1/2 fresh green chilli
1 tsp. tamarind
1 tsp. salt
2 ripe pears
2  tbsp. mint leaves

method

• mix all the pakora ingredients in a large bowl, adding enough water to give the consistency of thick double cream
• whizz up the pear chutney ingredients in a blender and adjust seasoning to taste.
• Heat the oil and deep fry the pakoras in batches, drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with the chutney.