Haggis pakora
Haggis pakora is a Scottish snack food that combines traditional Scottish haggis ingredients with the spices, batter and preparation method of Indian and Pakistani pakoras.[2][3] It has become a popular food in Indian and Pakistani restaurants in Scotland, and is also available in prepared form in supermarkets.
Haggis pakora, Kirkcudbright hotel restaurant, September 2013 | |
| Course | Hors d'oeuvre or snack |
|---|---|
| Associated cuisine | Scotland |
| Main ingredients | Sheep's heart, liver and lungs, onion, oatmeal, suet, yogurt, gram flour, spices |
| Variations | Vegetarian haggis pakora |
| 159[a] kcal | |
Origins edit
Haggis pakora has been described as a "highly improbable Indo-Caledonian alliance making use of the Scots' most potent culinary weapons: sheep pluck (heart, liver and lungs) and deep-fat frying."[4] It has more fondly been called "an inspired example of Indo-Gael fusion".[5] Haggis pakoras are just one of the many haggis fusion foods that have arisen in recent years. Others include haggis samosas, haggis spring rolls, haggis lasagna and haggis quesadillas.[6][b] Often these use vegetarian haggis rather than the traditional haggis made from a sheep's stomach stuffed with the chopped up lung, heart and liver of the sheep mixed with oatmeal.[6]
The dish appears to have been the creation of the Sikh community during a Scottish Mela held at the SEC in 1992–3, where, with collaboration with the Exec. Chef at the time Bill McMeekin, he was asked for ideas on how to combine Scottish produce and Indian culinary influences. During some practical experiments, it was found that haggis could be used in the same way as other pakora ingredients. Haggis pakoras have become popular appetizers in Indian restaurants in Scotland, where they appeal to what English food writer Felicity Cloake described as "the Scottish predilection for deep-frying anything that will stay still long enough to be dunked in batter".[8] In 2013, it was reported that a Greenock meat products company had launched prepared haggis pakoras. The product had won the Best Innovative Product prize at the BPEX[c] Foodservice Awards 2013.[10] The Scottish celebrity chef Tony Singh served haggis pakora at a pop-up restaurant during the 2015 Edinburgh Festival.[11]
Preparation edit
The haggis is cooked in its skin in the normal way. The skin is discarded and the contents (meat, oats, etc.) broken up with a fork.[12] The mixture may be spiced with ginger, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric and garam masala.[2] A thick batter is made of gram flour, chili powder, cumin, salt, yogurt and lemon juice. The meat is shaped into balls, coated with the batter and then deep fried in oil.[12] The pakora is fried for 3–4 minutes, and is ready when the batter is crisp and golden.[3]
Haggis pakoras may be served with a dipping sauce made of chopped tomatoes, ketchup, cayenne, paprika, chili sauce, lemon juice and beef stock.[12] They may also be served with a creamy yogurt sauce.[13] Haggis pakoras may also be made from vegetarian haggis, and may be served with mango chutney in place of the dipping sauce.[8] Another variant places vegetarian haggis inside mushroom caps, which are then battered and fried as before.[6]
Notes edit
- ^ Calories for a prepared brand, consisting of protein 16.4g, carbohydrates 17.5g, fat 2.1g.[1]
- ^ A haggis, neeps and tatties pasty was submitted for the 2016 World Pasty Championships.[7]
- ^ BPEX, the British Pig Executive, is now AHDB Pork, a division of the UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.[9]
See also edit
- List of deep fried foods
- List of Indian dishes
- List of Pakistani dishes
- Bhaji – Deep fried fritters served as fast food in India, Pakistan and the Caribbean
- Bread pakora – Indian and Pakistani fried snack
- Vada – Category of savoury fried snacks from India
References edit
- ^ Calories in Mrs Unis Haggis Pakora.
- ^ a b Eyewitness Travel 2011, p. 23.
- ^ a b McGovern 2012, PT85.
- ^ Lester Haines 2012.
- ^ Iain Banks 2013, p. 265.
- ^ a b c Shaheen 2010.
- ^ Neil Shaw 2016.
- ^ a b Felicity Cloake 2014.
- ^ About AHDB Pork.
- ^ Eric Baxter 2013.
- ^ The Boys Eat Scotland 2015.
- ^ a b c Philip Allan 2014.
- ^ Geoff Matthews 2015.
Sources edit
- "About AHDB Pork". AHDB Pork. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- "Calories in Mrs Unis Haggis Pakora with a Spicy Chilli Dip 200g Haggis Pakora". NutraTech Ltd. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- Eric Baxter (2013-12-03). "Haggis pakora success boosts Greenock meat firm". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- Eyewitness Travel (2011-10-03). Ultimate Food Journeys: The World's Best Dishes and Where to Eat Them. DK Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7566-9588-0. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- Felicity Cloake (2014-01-24). "Three amazing alternative haggis recipes for Burns night". The Guardian. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- Geoff Matthews (2015-03-04). "Haggis Pakora: A Fusion of Fear and Food in Glasgow!". Kathleen Matthews. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- Iain Banks (2013-09-30). Raw Spirit. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4481-8343-2. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- Lester Haines (2012-07-06). "Post-pub nosh deathmatch: Haggis pakora v huevos rancheros". The Register. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- McGovern, Kenny (2012-05-17). More Takeaway Secrets: How to Cook More of your Favourite Fast Food at Home. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 978-0-7160-2301-2. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- Neil Shaw (5 March 2016), "Pictures as World Pasty Championships are held at Eden Project on St Piran's Day 2016", The Herald (Plymouth), retrieved 2016-08-13[permanent dead link]
- Philip Allan (2014). "Haggis Pakora". BBC Good Food. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- Shaheen (2010-01-27). "Mushroom haggis pakoras with curried neep chips". Allotment2Kitchen. Retrieved 2015-08-23.
- The Boys Eat Scotland (2015-07-21). . Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-08-23.