Pakora or bhaji is a popular snack in Indian and surrounding countries. Growing up in the UK, vegetarian Indian food has always been part of my diet since I was a student. It is basically various vegetables dipped into a batter made from gram (chick pea) flour and stir-fried. It would be fun to use broad bean flour as we can’t grow chick peas here. The flour was mixed with water, salt and pepper, chili, cumin and coriander until you get a batter with the consistency of cream.
The pictures show the 15 perennials I used (2 types of dandelion) and the final delicious and simple veggie dinner served with sour cream (or yoghurt), Most of the plants are forest garden species.
These are Aralia elata (devil’s walking stick / fandens spaserstokk) young leaves which I had forced inside (I’d cut the tree down to stilmulate new shoots from the root as all the young shoots were too high to reach. More in my book.
From the top left and clockwise: Allium victorialis, dandelions, Rumex acetosa, Hemerocallis shoot, Hablitzia (stjernemelde), ground elder (skvallerkål), Primula elatior (flower stems), garlic, nettle and (bottom left) Campanula latifolia)
Dandlions with a little of the root
Aralia paradoxum, Aralia elata, Myrrhis odorata, and bulb onions
Campanula, garlic, Primula, nettle and Aegopodium
Allium victorialis, Aegopodium (ground elder) and Hemerocallis (day lily)
Ready to eat pakora: Top and clockwise – Allium victorialis, Aralia elata, ground elder and Campanula mixed, dandelion (bottom), and bulb onion!
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