Ramp Pakoras
Time: 1 hr | Difficulty: 2/5 | Recommendation: Weekend project or dinner
I love coming up with new ways to cook ramps, and I also love finding new things to pakora-fy! So these are the best of both worlds. These pakoras are super crispy and light, and they’re sort of spinach-y, but also garlic-y and a bit onion-y and spicy. Anyway, they’re just so good. Prepping the ramps does take some time, but it’s really worth the effort!
Ingredients/Tools:
A big handful of ramps
Chickpea flour
Water
Spices: Salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, red chili powder, ginger powder
Vegetable oil
A big bowl
A skillet or wok
Method:
Prepare the ramps: Scrape off any slimy bits from the stems (like you find on scallions) and wash the ramps well. You can do this by dunking them in a big bowl with water.
Dry the ramps on a paper towel, then chop into half-inch strips on the diagonal. Basically, you want to put the knife on a diagonal with the leaves, and chop them so they’re about a half-inch in width. Then chop the stems so they’re about an inch long.
Add the ramps to a big bowl, then add a lot of chickpea flour, and the spices. Mis everything well.
Add in some water to make a batter. Continue alternating with chickpea flour and water, until you get a smooth batter that clings to the ramps.
Heat up about an inch of oil in a skillet.
When the oil is hot, add a clump of ramps to the oil and let the pakora fry. Flip when the first side is golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Enjoy them with tamarind sauce or ketchup!!