Pakoras are vegetable fritters, a very common appetizer in South Asian cuisine and a must-have in Ramadan. Pakoras are so crunchy and full of flavors that they are almost impossible to resist. I make many versions of pakoras but these crispy pakoras taste exactly like the street style crunchy pakoras.
Ingredients for Crispy Pakoras
Vegetables
For crispy pakoras, my three vegetables of choice are potatoes, spinach, and onions. Peel your potatoes and onions and then thinly slice them in a match stick form. I used a vegetable grater for slicing my potatoes and then hand-cut spinach and onion. It’s important to wash the vegetables either before or after cutting and then drain any excess water.
Chickpea flour/ Besan
Use a good quality besan to have delicious pakoras. I used a total of 1.25 cups of besan, too much besan will make the pakoras dry but not crunchy, and too little will break the pakoras apart. Start with one cup and add more if needed. I like to see my vegetables in the pakora mix, if they are hiding in the mix, it means the quantity of besan is more than needed.
Spices
I like to use very simple spices in my cooking such as salt, red chili, and coriander powder. Some optional spices you can use are ajwain, cumin seeds, and fenugreek leaves. Sometimes I also like to add dry pomegranate seeds but they are completely optional. One thing that I don’t like to add is turmeric.
Temperature of oil
Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. To check if the oil is ready, drop a little bit of batter in the oil, if the batter bubbles and starts floating, it means the oil is ready for frying. A kitchen thermometer can also be used to check the temperature of oil. 350F is a safe temperature for frying pakoras.
What to serve with Pakoras?
These crunchy pakoras taste good by themselves but my favorite condiment to serve with pakoras is green chutney. You can also use ketchup, imli ki chutney, or chili garlic sauce.
Crispy Pakoras
Ingredients
- 1/2 bunch fresh spinach
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 large onion
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander seeds lightly crushed
- 1.5 cups chickpea flour besan
- 3/4 cups water
- 3 cups oil for frying
optional spices
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp carrom seeds ajwain
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek leaves meethi
Instructions
- Cut your potatoes into thin sticks, I used a grater but you can also hand cut it.
- Slice onion and cut spinach.
- Wash all of your vegetables either before or after cutting and let all of the water drain.
- Now add besan, salt, red chili, cumin, coriander seeds, ajwain, and fenugreek leaves.
- Add a little bit of water and mix it. Make a thick paste.
- You should still be able to see vegetables. Don’t add too much flour. I started with 1 cup and then added about 1/4 cup more.
- Heat your oil. Drop a spoonful of batter into the oil and fry the pakoras until nice and crunchy on medium-high heat.
Video
Notes
- It is important to add just enough besan that coats the vegetable. Too much besan will make the pakoras soggy.
- Use fresh ingredients to make crispy pakoras.
- Cutting technique is also very important for crispy pakoras.