You talked me into it.

I'm always posting pictures of food on Facebook. I love food, what can I say!? And I really like sharing it with people (usually to eat, but also to look at). Last time I updated my 'food' album, my friend Tiffany suggested I start a blog and share the recipes along with the pictures. Why not, I thought? I've also decided to try my hand at gardening for the first time this year, so it seemed like a good time to start documenting all-things-edible in my creative life.

So, to kick things off, here's the picture that inspired the recipe request from Tiffany. I made these a week ago for the first time. It was an experiment; to be honest, almost everything I make is an experiment... I'm lucky I have good friends who are willing to let me try things out on them when they come for dinner!

Pakora

Preheat 1 1/2 - 2 inches of peanut oil.

4 shallots (or 1 small onion) chopped finely

1 carrot, coarsely grated

1 potato, coarsely grated (you could probs use sweet potato)

a handful of spinach, torn

Mix vegetables together and coat with 2 large tbl of plain yogurt.

Measure out 1 cup chickpea flour and season with the following spices (these quantities are approximate):

Salt

½ tsp tumeric

2 tbl garam masala

¼ tsp cinnamon

Red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste

Toast the following spices and grind with mortar and pestle before adding to flour:

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

Whisk dry ingredients together and add to veggie mix.

Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil and fry until golden. Remove from oil and place on paper towel. Serve 'em hot or they'll get soggy!