Haggis pakora facts for kids
Haggis pakora, Kirkcudbright hotel restaurant, September 2013
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| Course | Hors d'oeuvre or snack |
|---|---|
| Associated national cuisine | Scotland |
| Main ingredients | Sheep's heart, liver and lungs, onion, oatmeal, suet, yogurt, gram flour, spices |
| Variations | Vegetarian haggis pakora |
| 159 calories per 100g serving kcal | |
Haggis pakora is a tasty snack from Scotland. It mixes traditional Scottish haggis with the exciting spices and cooking style of Indian pakoras. This popular dish is often found in Indian restaurants across Scotland. You can also buy it ready-made in supermarkets.
What is Haggis Pakora?
Haggis pakora is a great example of "fusion cuisine." This means it combines foods and cooking styles from different cultures. It brings together Scottish haggis and Indian pakora. People sometimes call it an "Indo-Gael fusion" because it blends Indian and Scottish flavors.
Haggis pakora is one of many new dishes that use haggis in creative ways. Other examples include haggis samosas, haggis spring rolls, and even haggis lasagne. Sometimes these dishes use vegetarian haggis. Traditional haggis is made from sheep's heart, liver, and lungs mixed with oatmeal.
How Haggis Pakora Started
Haggis pakora seems to have been created by the Sikh community in Scotland. This happened around 1992-1993 at a Scottish Mela event. A chef was asked to find ways to mix Scottish food with Indian cooking. They discovered that haggis worked well as an ingredient for pakoras.
This snack quickly became a favorite starter in Indian restaurants in Scotland. Scottish people often enjoy deep-fried foods, so haggis pakora was a perfect fit. In 2013, a company in Greenock started selling prepared haggis pakoras. Their product even won an award for being an "Innovative Product." Famous Scottish chef Tony Singh also served haggis pakora at a special restaurant during the Edinburgh Festival in 2015.
Making Haggis Pakora
Making haggis pakora involves a few simple steps:
- First, the haggis is cooked as usual.
- Then, its outer skin is removed, and the inside (meat and oats) is broken up with a fork.
- The haggis mixture can be spiced with ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala.
- Next, a thick batter is made. This batter uses gram flour, chili powder, cumin, salt, yogurt, and lemon juice.
- The haggis mixture is shaped into small balls.
- These balls are coated completely in the batter.
- Finally, they are deep-fried in hot oil.
- The pakoras fry for about 3 to 4 minutes. They are ready when the batter is crispy and golden brown.
Haggis pakoras are often served with a dipping sauce. This sauce might be made from chopped tomatoes, ketchup, cayenne pepper, paprika, and chili sauce. Sometimes, a creamy yogurt sauce is served alongside them.
You can also make haggis pakoras using vegetarian haggis. These might be served with mango chutney instead of a dipping sauce. Another way to make them is by putting vegetarian haggis inside mushroom caps. These are then battered and fried just like the regular pakoras.
See also
In Spanish: Haggis pakora para niños
