Brussel Sprouts Pakora by Zara Janjua in Glasgow

Zara Janjua is a TV presenter and reporter from Glasgow. She is a food blogger and instagrammer who has cooked alongside some of Scotland's best chefs on TV for two years. Being from a mixed race family, she enjoys fusing Scottish and Asian cuisine.

Love them or hate them, Christmas isn't the same without these quintessential leafy green vegetables. If you enjoy curries and indian spices, this simple and tasty method is the perfect way to help you get your fill this year.

Ingredients

170g Gram flour

57g Self-raising flour

500g Brussels spouts

1 litre vegetable oil or sunflower oil to deep fry

250ml water

2 heaped tspn chilli powder

1 tspn turmeric powder

2 tspn salt

Method

1 In a bowl mix the flour, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Slowly add the water to form a batter consistency. Cover and leave at room temperature for one hour. Add half a teaspoon of whole or powdered cumin to the batter for more spice.

2 This is a great recipe for fresh sprouts but it's also an ideal way to use up leftovers from Christmas dinner. If you are using fresh sprouts, peel the outer leaves and remove most of the stock before cutting in half. For leftover sprouts, leave whole. Place sprouts into the batter and cover evenly.

3 Heat the oil to 360F. If you don't have a thermometer, test-drop a small amount of batter into the oil. If it is ready, the batter should begin to bubble and cook instantly. It is best to batch cook these, do not overcrowd the pan when deep-frying. Using a dessert spoon to scoop each piece individually with a generous amount of batter. 4 Lower into the pan, dropping the sprout and batter into the hot oil. Turn the pieces occasionally to allow them to cook evenly. After 5-7 minutes they should be a deep golden brown colour. Remove and place on kitchen roll to soak up excess oil.

5 You can place the cooked pakora on a baking tray and keep in the oven at 200F while you prepare the remaining batches.

6 Dust with chilli powder and serve with mango chutney, fresh coriander dip or yogurt.

The pakora will keep fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge. So you can prepare in advance and heat them back up in the oven at 240F for 10 minutes to get them nice and crisp for guests arriving. They are best served fresh and in my house, they don't last long.

n association with Taste Communications.

www.tastecommunications.co.uk