I first had a prawn pakora on my recent honeymoon, and I couldn’t get over how good it was! As soon as I got home, I had to give it a try. The carom/ ajwain seeds really are key to this recipe so try to find them if you can- you can buy them from Indian supermarkets.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

250g raw prawns

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp carom or ajwain seeds

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

Handful of coriander, chopped

1 egg white

65g chickpea flour

1 small bottle of sparking water

Vegetable oil for frying

Lemon wedges, to serve

For the salad:

Cucumber, skinned and sliced

Red onion, thinly sliced

For the mint chutney:

1 handful mint leaves

1 handful coriander

3 tbsp yoghurt

A little water for consistency

Method:

1. In a bowl, marinate the prawns with the turmeric, carom/ ajwain seeds, garam masala and chilli powder. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. In a separate bowl, add the ginger and garlic paste, coriander and egg white. Mix.

3. Then add the chickpea flour to the egg mix, little by little, with a whisk. Every time you add a bit of chickpea flour, also add a few drops of sparking water to make a batter. Continue to add the chickpea flour until it is used up and the batter is the consistency of ketchup.

4. Add your marinated prawns to the batter. Mix well.

5. Heat up vegetable oil in a pan ready to deep fry. Check it is hot enough but dropping a bit of batter into it, and it should sizzle.

6. In a few batches, deep fry the prawns using a slotted spoon. They will only take about 3 minutes to fry, until the batter is crisp. Take out and drain on a piece of kitchen paper.

7. Season the prawns with sea salt once out.

8. To make the chutney, blend the mint and coriander leaves and yoghurt. Add a little water to help it blend then keep adding some water until your preferred consistency.

9. Serve the prawns hot with the chutney, salad and squeeze of lemon.

Enjoy! X