Afghan Style Fried Parsnips from Pakora

Summary

Ingredients

• 4 large parsnips, the thicker part it, cut into wafer-thin slices
• 150 grams flour
• 0.5 teaspoon ½ salt
• 0.5 teaspoon ½ coriander powder
• Chili powder
• Pepper, freshly ground
• 0.5 teaspoon ½ turmeric
• 0.5 teaspoon ½ baking powder
• 1 clove garlic, finely pressed, approx.
• 1 cup water, lukewarm
• Rapeseed oil, or sunflower oil for deep-frying
• 1 cup quark, (spring quark)
• 150 cups yogurt, ( g)
• 1 cucumber (s), finely diced
• 2 teaspoons dried mint, ground in a mortar
• sweet cream
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground
• 2 dashes lemon juice, (or lime)
• a few stalks parsley, smooth, finely chopped

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Instructions

1. Clean, peel, and pat dry the parsnips. Cut in half and use only the thicker sections. Slice thinly (a bread slicer works well). Lightly salt the slices and let rest for 1 minute, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Mix flour, salt, coriander powder, turmeric, and baking powder in a bowl. Add chili powder and freshly ground pepper to taste. Gradually add lukewarm water while stirring until you have a smooth batter. If too thin, add more flour; if too thick, add more water. Press the garlic clove into the batter and stir vigorously. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Check consistency — it should coat both sides of parsnip slices evenly.
3. Mix quark and yogurt in a bowl. Stir in a little sweet cream. Fold in the dried mint and lemon juice. Add the diced cucumber and chopped parsley and fold in evenly. Adjust consistency with more cream if desired. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. Add plenty of oil to a deep frying pan and heat to medium-high (about 3/4 stovetop power) until hot.
5. Use fine tongs to dip parsnip slices into the batter, coating both sides. Gently place in the hot oil and fry for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on kitchen paper.
6. Transfer to a serving plate and keep warm in a 60–70°C (140–160°F) oven while frying the remaining parsnips. If the oil becomes dirty, replace it or top up with fresh oil, removing any bits of batter with a slotted spoon.
7. Arrange the fried parsnips on plates or a large platter. Serve the dip alongside on plates or in bowls for self-service. Garnish with chopped parsley.