Afghan-style fried parsnips from Pakaura

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 large parsnips, the thicker part cut into wafer-thin slices
• 150 g flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• e.g. chili powder
• Pepper, freshly ground
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 clove(s) garlic, finely squeezed, approx.
• 1 cup(s) water, lukewarm
• e.g. rapeseed oil or sunflower oil for frying
• 1 cup of quark (spring quark)
• 1 cup of yogurt (150 g)
• 1 cucumber(s), finely diced
• 2 tsp mint, dried, ground in a mortar
• e.g. sweet cream
• n. B. salt and pepper, freshly ground
• 2 dashes lemon juice or lime juice
• a few stalks of parsley, flat, finely chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

Variation of Pakaura with the rediscovered root vegetable

First, clean and peel the parsnips, or coarsely grate them, and pat them dry. Halve the parsnips and use only the thicker parts for this dish. Next, cut the parsnips into wafer-thin slices. A bread slicer set to the “ham” setting works great for this. Lightly salt the parsnip slices and let them rest briefly, then pat them dry with kitchen paper. Combine the flour, salt, coriander, turmeric, and baking powder in a mixing bowl with a mixer or whisk. While mixing, add the water until a smooth dough forms. If the dough is too thin, stir in more flour; if it’s too thick, stir in more lukewarm water. Now press the garlic clove into the dough, stir vigorously again, and let it rest, covered, for half an hour. Then check the consistency again. The dough should stick nicely to both sides of the parsnip once dipped in the batter. Meanwhile, prepare the dip: Whisk together the quark and yogurt in a bowl, then stir in a little cream. Now fold in the mint and lemon juice. Add the cucumber and parsley and fold in evenly. Continue stirring, slowly adding more cream if necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Some people prefer a thicker dip, others prefer a more liquid one. Finally, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Now add plenty of oil to a deep frying pan and heat to 3/4 heat. Dip the parsnip slices evenly into the batter (tip: use “fine” tongs) and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. The time may vary depending on the pan and stovetop. Just try it out with a slice. After frying, briefly degrease the parsnips on kitchen paper and then keep them warm on a serving plate in the oven at 60 to 70°C (140 to 150°F) until they are all cooked through. If the oil gets too dirty, replace it halfway through cooking, or add more oil to make up for lost oil and remove any remaining batter with a slotted spoon. Make sure the temperature is correct. Once all the root vegetables are cooked, arrange them either on plates or a large platter. Serve the dip either on the plate or in small bowls for self-serve. Sprinkle the dip and/or pakaura with a little chopped parsley for decoration. This recipe also works great with wafer-thin slices of potatoes, celery, eggplant, zucchini, carrots, and even white cabbage (I’ve tried it myself). But your imagination knows no bounds. Why not try peppers or onions? The preparation, however, remains basically the same.