Thinly slice the onion, julienne the potato and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture, finely chop the cauliflower into small florets, roughly chop the spinach and cilantro, and finely chop the green chili if using. Combine all prepared vegetables in a mixing bowl and toss to mix evenly.

Make batter

In a separate bowl, whisk together gram flour, rice flour, turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, red chili powder, salt and baking soda (if using). Add 2 tablespoons of water and stir to form a thick, slightly grainy batter. Add the remaining tablespoon of water only if needed to bring it to a consistency that will just coat the vegetables (it should be thick, not runny).

Combine batter and vegetables

Add the mixed vegetables and chopped cilantro (and green chili) to the batter. Stir thoroughly so every piece of vegetable is evenly coated with the batter. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes; the gram flour will absorb a little moisture and bind the vegetables.

Frying & Serving

Heat oil

Pour about 1 cup (or enough for 1–1.5 inches depth) of neutral oil into a small shallow pan. Heat over medium heat until the oil reaches about 170–180°C (340–355°F) or until a small drop of batter sizzles and rises slowly to the surface.

Fry pakoras

Using a spoon, drop portions of the batter-vegetable mixture into the hot oil to make 2 equal fritters (for this recipe portioning makes two pieces). Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry for 3–4 minutes on the first side until golden brown, then carefully flip and fry for another 2–3 minutes until evenly golden and crisp. Adjust heat as needed to cook through without burning.

Drain

Remove the pakoras with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or paper towels to remove excess oil. Let rest 1 minute — they continue to crisp slightly as they cool.

Serve

Serve the 2 pakoras hot with lemon wedges and chutney. Squeeze lemon over just before eating for brightness.