Crispy Besan Potato Pakoras with Cilantro

Drain the canned chickpeas and reserve the liquid (aquafaba). Blend the chickpeas with a splash of water until you have a coarse, textured paste. For a smoother texture closer to besan flour, sift the blended paste through a fine-mesh sieve to remove larger chickpea pieces.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, chickpea paste, and yogurt. Stir in the salt, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and black pepper.

Add water gradually, whisking continuously, until you achieve a thick, smooth batter that coats the back of a spoon. The consistency should be like pancake batter. Set aside to rest while you prepare the filling.

Pierce the potatoes with a fork and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes until fork-tender. Alternatively, boil whole potatoes in salted water until cooked through. Let cool slightly.

Peel the potatoes and mash them in a bowl with the grated yellow onion, minced garlic, and finely grated ginger. Season with a pinch of salt.

Finely chop the cilantro and fold half into the potato mixture. Reserve the remaining half for garnishing.

Take a generous spoonful of the spiced potato mixture and shape it into a small patty, about 2 inches wide and half an inch thick. If the mixture is too soft to hold, place it in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

Dip each stuffed potato patty into the prepared batter, coating all sides evenly. Let excess batter drip off before proceeding.

In a deep heavy-bottomed pan or kadai, heat the sunflower oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Test by dropping a small amount of batter into the oil — it should sizzle and float to the surface immediately.

Carefully lower 3-4 pakoras into the hot oil, being sure not to crowd the pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side, turning gently with a slotted spoon, until deeply golden and crispy all over.

Remove the cooked pakoras and drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Repeat with remaining batches, maintaining the oil temperature between batches.

Garnish the hot pakoras immediately with the reserved freshly chopped cilantro and a light dusting of extra salt if desired.

Serve while hot and crispy alongside tamarind chutney, green chutney, or plain yogurt for dipping.