Whenever I go to Glasgow, I always stop by The Wee Curry Shop. I love the place and their haggis pakoras are to die for.
A month or so before I started writing my second cookbook ‘The Curry Guy Easy’, I met up with the owner Monir Mohammed.
He shared a few of his popular recipes with me that day and luckily his haggis pakora recipe was one of them.
I included the haggis pakora recipe in my cookbook which has become quite popular, not just with Scots but with people all over the UK. Now you can make these delicious pakoras at home.
Always good with an ice cold scotch.
Alternative ingredients for haggis pakora…
I am a big fan of haggis. When my wife’s grandmother was alive, she used to live in Dornoch in the Highlands of Scotland. We used to go up there at least three times every year.
I used to experiment with haggis while there but I also learned that there are a lot of people who just won’t eat the stuff.
Vegetarians, for example but the good news is that there is some really good vegetarian haggis out there and it works really well with this haggis pakora recipe.
So if you just don’t want to try the real thing or you are on a vegetarian diet, don’t let that stop you from trying haggis pakora!
The batter ingredients are exactly those that were taught to me by Monir.
This batter makes excellent haggis pakora which is why they are so popular at his restaurant.
I suggest trying it exactly as written but if you think their is too much chilli powder in it or perhaps you are on a low sodium diet, there is no reason why you can’t adjust these ingredients to your own preferences.
Working ahead…
There really isn’t much to do with this haggis pakora recipe.
That said, it is always a good idea to get your ingredients all prepared before starting cooking.
This makes cooking easier regardless of what you making.
Prepared ingredients for haggis pakora.
Step by step cooking…
Many people find it easier to see photos of the cooking process.
I have included some below. Unfortunately, I was on the scotch when cooking these and forgot to take a few pics but I think you’ll still get the idea.
Place the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and chop up your haggis into pieces.
Add the wet ingredients and whisk until you have a thick and smooth batter.
Dip the haggis into the batter and ensure that the haggis pieces are coated well. Fry at 190c/375f for about 2 minutes, until browned and crispy.
If you like this haggis pakora recipe, you might like to try some of these snacks too.
Onion bhajis Air fryer onion bhajis Thai fried calamari
I served mine with a mint chutney. Really good.
You’re going to love this one.
Yield: 4
Haggis Pakora
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Ingredients
Rapeseed (canola) oil for deep frying
450g haggis (1 lb) cut into bite sized pieces or slightly larger
Salt to taste
FOR THE BATTER
150g (1 heaped cup) gram (chickpea) flour
50g (1/2 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds - toasted
1 tsp coriander seeds - toasted
Instructions
Start by making the batter. Sift the gram flour and cornflour into a large bowl and add the salt and all the spices.
Add 150ml (2/3 cup) water and whisk everything together until you have a smooth batter.
Now heat a deep fat fryer oil to 190/375f. If you don't have a deep fat frying, the frying can be done in a high sided pan or wok.
Dip the haggis pieces in the batter and cook in batches until golden and crisp. About two minutes per batch should do the job, but only take the pakora out when they have a nice crispy brown crust.
Transfer the cooked pakoras to a paper towel and keep them warm while you cook the rest in the same way. Season with salt to taste and serve with hot chilli sauce, chutney or simply with wedges of lemon.
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I hope you enjoy this haggis pakora recipe. Remember, you can make vegetarian haggis pakora too so I hope you try this recipe. If you do try it, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
Haggis (Scottish Gaelic: taigeis) is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with chopped onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach though now an artificial casing is often used instead.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the haggis and reduce to a simmer. Time according to weight – McLays recommends boiling a 1kg natural-cased haggis for an hour and 15 minutes. To serve, carefully slit open the casing and tip the filling onto a plate.
Cut the haggis into 8 thick slices. Set a frying pan on a medium heat.When warm, drizzle in some olive oil and place in the haggis slices.Fry for 3-4 mins on each side till browned, crisp and warmed all the way through.
Haggis has a terrible reputation which it really doesn't deserve. It actually tastes good but is definitely a flavour and texture to get used to. It's a bit like crumbly sausage, and surprisingly peppery. The oats in the mix give it a pleasant earthiness as well as making it a very hearty meal.
What does haggis taste like? Haggis is like a crumbly sausage, with a coarse oaty texture and a warming peppery flavour. It's most commonly served with neeps (mashed turnip) and tatties (mashed potato) and washed down with a wee dram of your favourite whisky.
Simmer gently for 45 minutes per pound (100 minutes per kilo) but do not boil as this may burst the skin. If you would rather use an oven to cook your haggis; place your haggis, again wrapped in tin foil, into a casserole dish with a little water and heat at 190oC (gas mark 5) for approximately 1 hour until piping hot.
Heart and lungs will provide some iron, zinc and selenium and the oats included in haggis will contribute to fibre intake. It's important not to over indulge in haggis as it tends to be high in fat and saturated fat as well as high in salt, so be mindful of the portion size.
Wrap your haggis tightly in foil and place in a large saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer very, very gently, as you do not want to burst the haggis. You need to cook haggis for one hour for every 500g of haggis. For every 200g extra, increase by 10 minutes.
The stomach smells while it is cooking but it doesn't impart a flavour to the haggis once cooked and cooled if you clean it as best you can in this step.
Do you have to wrap haggis in foil? No, haggis comes already wrapped. I assume you bought it ready - then it should come in a sheep's stomach or an ox bung - or in a vacuum sealed plastic bag.
Wrap the haggis in foil, put in an ovenproof dish with some space around it, then pour in boiling water so it comes about 2.5cm (1in) up the sides of the dish. Cook for about 1 hour 45 mins until piping hot throughout (topping up water as needed). Remove skin and clips before serving.
10cm space). Grill for approximately 6 – 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Pan Fry: Heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan to medium heat. Remove the Haggis from the packaging and fry for approximately 6-8 minutes.
Remove the skin, slice, and tip into a microwave safe bowl. Add a little water and a knob of butter(optional), cover and microwave on full power for 3.5 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. When ready, remove, stir, cover, and allow to stand for 1 -2 minutes before serving.
So all you have to do is heat it up until it's pipping hot. Wrapping it in foil first helps to contain the contents if you are unlucky enough to burst it. Don't cook it at too high a temperature. Haggis prefer a wet, steamy heat to a dry one, so if you have a double pan steamer or steam oven, use that.
However, black pudding includes the addition of blood, giving it a distinct flavour and appearance. Haggis, on the other hand, combines offal (sheep's heart, liver, and lungs) with oatmeal, suet, onions, and spices.
Serve up a Scottish supper to remember with a classic smoked fish soup and the essential haggis, neeps and tatties - all rounded off with a traditional clootie dumpling. Delicious!
You can't celebrate Burns Night without this classic Scottish recipe. We've served our haggis alongside its traditional side dishes 'neeps and tatties' aka mashed potatoes and swede. A rich whisky sauce is an ideal accompaniment to this flavourful dish too.
Important - This is a raw product and must be fully cooked prior to consumption. Prior to cooking remove haggis from outer bag. As all appliances may vary, these are guidelines only. Remove casing and clips and ensure haggis is piping hot before serving.
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Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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