Viva Lewes Issue #122 November 2016

FOOD
Whambam
Finger-licking good pakoras
I’m wandering down School Hill on a chilly October afternoon, in
search of lunch. I can’t decide what I feel like eating, but my mind is
quickly made up by the smell of hot oil and spices, wafting up from
the Whambam van as I reach the bottom of the hill.
It’s a bit late for lunch, 2pm, but there’s still a small queue. I go for
a Heavenly Helping (£6.50), which comes with eight pakoras (four or five different kinds of vegetable
each coated in a spicy, crunchy batter) and three dips: I choose tamarind chutney (because the
handwriting on the jar says ‘BEST!’), the ‘sort of mild lime pickle’ and the chilli pickle. The woman in
the van dollops a spoonful of each on top of the pakoras and hands me the paper tray. “Do you have a
fork?” I ask. “Fingers,” she answers, waggling hers. I take the tray, settle on a nearby bench and dig in.
Fingers, it turns out, are the ideal pakora-eating utensil. Things get a bit messy, scooping the pickle
onto the batter, while contending with wind and long hair. The pakoras are carrot, butternut squash
and, my favourite, cauliflower, and the three dips stop the flavour from becoming too samey. The
chilli pickle is a little bit spicy for me, but the heat leaves me feeling nice and warm, despite the cold
weather. I devour the whole tray, leaving my fingers coated in a layer of delicious orange oil. Next time
I’ll bring wet wipes. Rebecca Cunningham
Photo by Rebecca Cunningham
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