Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz full-fat cream cheese
• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
• softened
• 4 tbsp icing sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• plus extra for drizzling
• pinch salt
• pinch mixed spice
• 1.5–2 litres/2½–3½ pints vegetable oil
• 300g/10½oz carrots (3–4 medium ones)
• peeled and grated
• 50g/1¾oz walnuts
• roughly chopped
• 50g/1¾oz raisins
• 120g/4½oz self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 20g/¾oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 medium free-range eggs
• lightly beaten
• up to 1 tbsp icing sugar
• for dusting

Directions

• For the cream cheese
• mix the cream cheese and butter in a bowl until smooth and fully combined
• with no lumps.
• Mix in the icing sugar
• maple syrup and salt
• then transfer into a serving bowl. Drizzle over a squirt of maple syrup and sprinkle with a pinch of mixed spice. Cover the bowl and pop into the fridge.
• For the pakoras
• have a baking tray lined with kitchen paper ready to soak up any excess oil.
• Put a medium pan (one that has a lid
• in case you need to put the lid on in an emergency) on a high heat and add about 1.5 litres/2½ pints of oil
• though this depends on the size of the pan: the oil needs to be halfway up. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
• Tip the carrots
• walnuts and raisins into a mixing bowl. Mix well.
• Add the flour
• baking powder
• sugar
• mixed spice and salt
• and stir into the carrot mixture so that everything is coated. Add the beaten eggs and keep mixing until you have a thick batter.
• Test that the oil is hot enough by adding a tiny drop of the batter to the oil. If it sizzles and rises to the top
• the oil is ready for frying. (If you own a cooking thermometer
• it should be at 170C.) Turn the heat down to medium.
• Using two teaspoons
• one to pick up and the other to push out
• gently drop teaspoons of the mixture into the oil. Work in batches
• making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
• Fry for a few minutes – these only take about 4–5 minutes. Move them around
• turning them occasionally so that they are an even colour. They should be golden-brown on the outside.
• Carefully remove the pakoras from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper-covered tray.
• Fry more batches until all the batter is used up. Dust with the icing sugar and serve with the dip.