Shiv and I have  recently started a romantic threesome with kale. On shopping trips we’ve always regarded it with a lot of curiosity. We’ve bought a packet of chopped curly several times ,experimented and tried adapting it to various Indian recipes made with greens and have been disappointed with the taste. Not being happy with the out come I’ve been searching for exciting ways to cook Kale. I stumbled on a brilliant idea while watching BBC’s Countryfile.  The idea isn’t mine unfortunately, it belongs to a chef in Somerset, originally from Andhra Pradesh in India, who runs a small cafe in Somerset called ‘Lungi Cafe’. He made crispy pakoras with freshly harvested locally grown Kale. I thought that it was a brilliant idea and would make Kale more palatable and sexy. I made Kale pakoras at home the other day and  it tasted awesome. A sinful way to including the healthy super food in our diet.

What do I need to make it?

• 1 500 g packet of chopped curly kale
• 2 cups gram flour
• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp ajwain seeds
• a pinch of powdered asafoetida
• a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• water as needed
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

How much will I make?

Enough to serve 4

How do I make it?

Wash, drain and pat dry the Kale. Mix together the gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, ajwain, asafoetida, salt, pepper, turmeric powder and enough water to make a thick batter. The batter should be lump free and of the consistency to coat the kale evenly. Put the Kale in the batter and make sure it is coated evenly. Heat oil to 180 degree C and fry the kale in batches till the pakora is golden brown and cooked through. Serve with a sauce of your choice. We like it with tangy tamarind sauce.