Vegetarian Recipes

Kale Pakora (Crispy Chickpea Flour Fritters) Gluten-free

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Baked Kale Pakora. Pakoras or Pakoda are fried Crispy Indian fritters which are served for snacking. Use other greens such as spinach for Spinach Pakora or chard for variation. Gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and vegan.

Pakoras are a frequent snack especially around the festive season. People visit friends and family with a collection of sweets and snacks, hang out and eat fresh pakoras and drink masala chai!

Festivities begin on Dhanteras (the day of forture), where people clean up the house, set up lamps and lights and buy something new(new metal to bring good luck) for the house, to invite positivity, prosperity and happiness. Today is Choti (small) Diwali (day of knowledge), tomorrow will be Diwali (day of light), which is celebrated with lamps and amazing food to celebrate the victory of good over various kinds of evil.

This Pakora uses a few ingredients, is simple and baked. Bake till just about crisp and like pakoras or bake longer for crispier kale chips like result. serve with chutneys or dips of choice.

You can use this same method to make vegetable pakora (chop the veggies small and use less amount so that you have enough batter), or with onions(use thinly sliced onions). Bake them or fry them! Another veggie pakora which is simpler as you chop everything in the food processor can be found here. Lets make this kale pakora!

Ingredients for Kale Pakora

Chickpea flour. I use garbanzo bean flour here for a thicker batter. If using besan, add 2 to 4 tbsp more besan.
Rice flour adds a nice crunch. Use fin semolina to substitute
salt, cumin seeds, turmeric and cayenne for flavor
baking powder for a lighter pakora
green or red chili, ginger for additional flavor
water to make the batter
one bunch of curly kale or other greens of choice

How to make Kale Pakora

Measure out, and place ingredients onto your work space. Remove stems from the kale by pulling between your fingers, or by using a knife. Chop the kale into small pieces.

Place all dry ingredients into a bowl

Whisk all dry ingredients together with the half cup of water until it is a creamy, light batter.

The batter should not be too flowy. Add the kale to the batter, and mix and rub the batter on/between the leaves

Spread on parchment lined sheet, and bake at 425 degrees for 18-30 minutes, depending on the size of the kale, and how crisp you’d like it to be. Reduce temp to 375 degrees after 22 minutes and move the dish around for even baking. Serve with green chutney, or tamarind chutney!

I like to crisp these up so they are more like kale chips. So I bake them longer. Check one at 22 mins and see if you want them crispier.

Kale Pakora (Crispy Chickpea Flour Fritters)

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: kale pakoda, spinach pakora

Servings: 4

Calories: 142.89kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

1 cup (120 g) chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour. If using besan, add 2 to 4 tbsp more for thicker batter consistency)
3 tbsp rice flour (or use fine semolina. Semolina is not gluten-free)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin seeds , or other spices of choice such as carom seeds, mustard seeds, sesame seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/3 tsp cayenne
1 tsp oil optional)
1/2 cup (118.29 ml) water
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 red or green chili , finely chopped
1 tsp minced ginger
6 curry leaves, finely chopped (optional)
1 bunch of curly kale 5 to 6 medium stems , 3+ cups packed after chopping

Instructions

Remove stems from the kale by pulling between your fingers, or by using a knife. Chop into small pieces. Preheat the oven to 425 deg F (218 C). Line a baking sheet or dish with parchment.
Make the batter: Add all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix. Add oil if using and water and whisk to make a thick smooth batter. If the batter is too thin/watery, add more chickpea flour a few tsp at a time and whisk in. If too thick, add water (1-2 tbsp). You want the batter to be thick and close to pasty so that it sticks well to the leaves.
Add the kale to the batter, and mix and rub the batter on/between the leaves
Spread on parchment lined sheet, and bake at 425 degrees for a total of 18-28 minutes. Bake time depends on the size of the kale, and how crisp you’d like it to be. Reduce temp to 375 degrees F (190 C) after 22 minutes. Move the dish around for even baking.
Sprinkle some chaat masala or cayenne(red chili powder) Serve with green chutney, or tamarind chutney!

Store: on the counter for the day.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Kale Pakora (Crispy Chickpea Flour Fritters)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 142.89 Calories from Fat 24

% Daily Value*

Fat 2.62g4%

Saturated Fat 0.28g2%

Sodium 331.25mg14%

Potassium 525.78mg15%

Carbohydrates 26.57g9%

Fiber 3.38g14%

Sugar 3.27g4%

Protein 9.26g19%

Vitamin A 5019.98IU100%

Vitamin C 60.3mg73%

Calcium 99.7mg10%

Iron 2.36mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Just like vegetable lasagne, vegetarian moussaka is one of those dishes that I adore, but I rarely cook for myself, because it always seems like such a huge effort. Cooking lentils, boiling potatoes, grilling slices of eggplant, simmering tomato sauce… the vast majority of the time, I really, truly can not be bothered.

That’s why this vegetable moussaka casserole is such a revelation! It’s a casserole-style version of my favourite veggie moussaka, which tastes just the same, but is so much less effort to make! Just stick everything in a baking dish and let it do its thing, casserole-style.

A spoon taking a scoop from a baking dish of cheesy moussaka casserole.

This moussaka casserole has two sections:

a tasty tomatoey layer underneath, made with all the usual ingredients you’d expect to find in a vegetable moussaka – tender lentils, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and roasted potatoes, cooked in a rich tomato sauce
a thick layer of creamy bechamel sauce on top

As you scoop into the casserole, the creamy sauce drips down and smothers the tomatoey layer. It. Is. Delicious.

How is this Easier than a Regular Vegetarian Moussaka?

I’m not going to lie, this vegetable moussaka casserole takes quite a long time to bake, and the ingredients list is a fair bit longer than the majority of my easy recipes.

However, I stand by the fact that this is so much easier to make than most moussaka recipes. Although it takes a while to cook, it’s almost all hands-off time, where you can go and relax / do some other useful jobs / play with your kids / whatever else you like to do with your life.

Vegetarian moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomato.

This vegetarian moussaka casserole is easy to make because:

using canned lentils mean there’s no boiling required.
the vegetables are roasted in the oven, rather than the more hands-on method of cooking them on the stovetop.
there’s no fiddly layering of sliced ingredients – it’s all baked up together.
even the tomatoey sauce is cooked right there in the oven with the other ingredients.

It’s definitely not a quick weeknight dinner, but if you’re at home over the weekend, it’s the perfect dish to have baking in the oven while you’re busy with other things.

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Overhead shot of a cheesy topped moussaka casserole with sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

potatoes
eggplant (aubergine)
canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
canned tomatoes
tomato paste
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
tomato – to slice up for the topping
milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

Becca’s Top Tip

I used the same baking dish to roast up my vegetables, and then to cook the casserole itself. If you’ve got a little less time on your hands, the veggies will actually roast a little quicker if you spread them out on a baking tray – but I wanted to save on dishes to wash! I love a one pot meal.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of a portion of vegetable moussaka with salad.

Printable Instructions

Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 35

Total Time 2

Servings

Calories 523kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the lentil layer:

1 medium eggplant (aubergine) (~ 250g / ~ 9 oz)
~ 500g (~ 1 lb) potatoes
1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion)
2 Tbsp oil
400 g tinned lentils, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

60 g (~ 2 oz) butter
60 g (~ 2 oz) plain flour
500 ml (~ 2 cups) milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 large tomato, sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
Cut the eggplant, potatoes and onion into 2cm dice (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes). Toss them in a little oil, and add to a baking dish – mine measured approx. 8 x 8 inches.
Roast the vegetables in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until the vegetables are fairly soft (the potatoes might still be a bit al dente). If you decide to spread the vegetables out onto a baking tray instead of using the dish, they will cook more quickly.
Add the tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, and dried herbs, and mix well to combine.
Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened up into a rich sauce. Mix well.
To make the béchamel topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the flour. Mix to create a thick paste (a roux), and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more milk. Season to taste with salt. If you need more detailed instructions, check out my white sauce recipe.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the lentil mixture, and top with a few slices of tomato.
Return to the oven for a final 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
Allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve.

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare moussaka in advance?

Absolutely! The casserole can either be cooked entirely and then reheated when needed, or you can assemble it, then do the final bake just before serving.

Can I freeze leftover moussaka?

Moussaka is perfect for batch cooking – just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe tub, and freeze. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave.