I was eating Pakora in York last week. No big deal.

We have 3 in our little town and they all do pakora.

it's not very readily available in the south

Are we talking 'restaurants', or Indians in general?

Yes

either!

Get a clipboard and go survey.

I am in Bucks - that is pretty south.

Huh

I'm in the south and its never been a problem London Brighton Southampton Plymouth   Maybe I've been lucky 

OK, I've checked all my menu leaflets and surveyed any Indians I came across.

It seems there is some confusion between Pakora and Bhajis.

In my experience, pakora is increasingly appearing on restaurant menus in England, but it's never achieved the sort of impact it has in Scotland, where it's often sold in Fish & Chip shops.

15 years ago, it was pretty much unheard of in England. I knew some serious curry-holics (we're talking about blokes who would drive from Southampton to Birmingham on a Saturday evening for a balti ), and they'd never heard of pakora. However, it was one of those things that if you asked in the restaurant, they'd do it for you specially. (Probably still the case- I've done that a few times in the past to get vegetable pakora to share with vegetarian friends.)

Pakora is more like a fritter. Round here it's usually spiced potato and spinach.
The most popleer Bhaji is Onion. That's fatty fried onions bound  up in fat, vegetable oil, flour, and fat, and probably butter. Approx 4000 calories each. Sometimes bhajis are just a particular vegetable spiced up.
Samozas are meaty trangular shaped items which give me a lot of pleasure. (Over to you Lilibet)

Are you sure?

It has historically been more prevalent in the north.  Diaspora reasons I guess.  


We used to have a Murphy's Pakora Bar.  It's main deal was a pint of Murphys (Guiness by any other name) and a portion of pakora. 

Cetainly where I was (South Coast). I should emphasise that I'm talking about the general public here - restaurant owners obviously knew what it was, but wouldn't have it on their menus because their customers wouldn't know what it was. As I said, I knew some serious curry fans who had no idea what I was talking about whenever I mentioned "pakora".

Having said that: as Blizzie says, there's a lot of confusion between "pakora" and "bhaji". Bhaji's were (and obviously still are) very popular in England, and strictly speaking what we know as "bhajis" are just onion pakora.So to some extent, it's just down to which name became known first. I've just had a quick web search and found recipes for things like "cauliflower bhajis", so it looks like a lot of English use "bhaji" when they really mean "pakora" because that's what they're used to...

*** mourns reputation ***

Do the Scottlish have Mars Bar Pakora?

Samosas = rule. 

I like the way different countries have come up with their own twists on what is essentially the same thing over the centuries.  It's cool. 

There is a lot to be said for these little pleasures

I think they wak it in and could get away with calling it a Pakora.

Call it nougat and caramel tempura and you'd have Nobu calling for the recipe...

Indian chap at our work brought some of his mums home made Pakora in on our last day of training...Feck me they was good!..Hot! Nom Noms!

Scottlish?? You been on the Irn Bru Blizzie

OMG i used to love pakora, i could eat some right now

I know!! I'm starving.

Now i don't know why i made myself worse by posting some prawn Pakora

I live near an award winning Indian restaurant , the smell is just so nice..now i want some..but not prawns . Chicken pakora..oh i could have some of that   I am on my Christmas diet, so cant

I want some Vegetable Pakora and Spiced Haddock, Chilli chicken Dosa, and 

Aubergine fritters......  badly.

I used to live near the Wilmslow rd in Manchester...some cracking smells used to waft our way!

Not prawn though..Yerk!

I used to go to a place called Mother India a lot, the food was lush

Its awful isnt it ? I love food

my brother makes good pakora, well he used to before he got too fat lazy. all in the flour apparently.

Oh How we suffer

Would walk a zillion miles for a good curry!....Place round the corner from us used to do a suicide!..the students used to love..cos it meant if they could eat their way through it..it was free!...Handy when you're a student!

I'm going to point out here that most people who work in 'Indian' restaurants and takeaways are from Bangladesh,  This will have no impact whatsoever on this thread. 

Can smell my fav Indian's now virtually  lol


I will have to wait till friday to get my Pakora's tapas style mmmmm

Sounds great slimfern

Do you know what - I only had my first Indian takeaway last year!

I am in love with Indian food - the OH and I have a curry at least once a week - home made. The hotter the better.

We went out for a proper Indian meal last week - my first one in a restaurant. I had a vindaloo - it was soooo lovely.

As long as they can cook...& no neighbourhood cats go missin...am not fussy!

Wow really.

We took the children to their first ever Indian Tapas style a couple of weeks ago, and was concerned they would not touch anything and pull faces.
They lapped it up! they are asking to go back lol

I love the tapas small portions. Great for the kids as well.