Crispy Pakora Recipe (Simple, Homestyle)
A simple, flavor-packed Vegetable Pakora recipe with tips to make them soft yet extra crispy. These are homestyle pakoras - light and airy, not heavy or dense like restaurant ones can be. Use onions and potatoes, plus cabbage, spinach, or any veggies you like. Tested to perfection!
Ingredients
Pakora
- 1 large yellow onion quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 medium Russet potato peeled, quartered/cut into wedges lengthwise and thinly sliced (Note 1)
- 1 cup red or green cabbage thinly sliced into 1” pieces (sub 1 cup/30g chopped spinach or your choice of veggie - Note 2)
- 2 Serrano peppers finely chopped (deseed for less heat)
- 1/2 cup cilantro stems included, finely chopped
- 2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds roughly crushed using a mortar & pestle
- 2 tsp cumin seeds roughly crushed using a mortar & pestle
- 1 tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed oil, plus more for frying
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp sea salt/table salt
- 1 1/4 cup besan (gram flour) Note 3
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp chilled water Note 4
- 1/8 tsp baking soda optional - Note 6
To Serve
- Chaat masala optional, for sprinkling on top
- Mint chutney optional, for serving
Instructions
- Make Pakora Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients listed under 'Pakora' except besan/gram flour, water, and baking soda. Stir in besan and mix to combine so that the vegetables are lightly coated (okay if besan starts to clump up). Add measured water, bit by bit, until the mixture is coated but not runny. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt to taste, cumin/coriander for earthiness, red chili flakes/powder for heat, and lemon for tang. Lastly, mix in the baking soda, if using. Set aside. The vegetables will release their own moisture and the mixture will become thinner. (See Troubleshooting Tips)
- Preheat oil: Heat a large frying pan or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add oil so that it’s about 1.5-2”/4-5 cm deep. It should be deep enough so that the batter doesn’t stick to the bottom. Once the oil is hot, adjust heat level as needed to maintain medium heat (300-320°F/150°-160°C).
- Fry Pakoras: Gently lower a generous 1 tbsp of pakora mixture into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. (I like to use tongs to pick up the mixture and lower into the oil.) To make them as crispy as possible, try to shape them flat and uneven instead of round and pudgy. Onion sticking out and uneven/wispy edges is a good thing. Fry, turning often, until crispy and golden brown all over, 8-10 minutes. You want to maintain medium temperature to ensure they have time to fully cook from the inside.
- Remove: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pakoras onto a paper towel-lined plate (if serving immediately) or wire cooling rack (if serving later - Note 5). Repeat until all pakoras are cooked. Sprinkle with chaat masala if you'd like. Serve immediately with Green Chutney (quick recipe in post), Mint Raita, or sauce of choice.
Video
Notes
Note 1: There is no right way to cut the potatoes, as long as you get thinly sliced wedges or rectangles. As a general rule, for small potatoes, cut them in quarters lengthwise and then slice each quarter thinly into 1/6-1/4” thick pieces. For medium/large potatoes, cut them into 6-9 wedges (so that each wedge is ~1” thick) and then thinly slice them into 1/6-1/4” inch thick pieces. The important thing is that the potatoes are thin enough to cook through when frying but not too small to separate from the pakora mixture while frying.
Note 2: You can make pakoras with all kinds of vegetables, as long as they're small enough to cook through and large enough to hold to the batter. Replace cabbage with 1 measurement cup as opposed in 60g in weight. Chop all veggies into strips or bite-sized pieces. See post for more vegetable options.
Note 3: Quality matters here. Look for expiration dates! Tested with Deep and Laxmi brand besan/gram flour, which is made with chana dal. If you can’t find it, substitute it with chickpea flour/garbanzo bean flour which is available at most grocery stores.
Note 4: Cold water helps make crispy pakoras. Use refrigerated water or place ice cubes in room temperature water to chill.
Note 5: I would not recommend frying pakoras more than a few hours in advance. If you're serving within an hour, place the rack into a warm 200°F/95°C oven until ready to serve.
Note 6: I tested with baking soda and found that it slightly puffs up the pakora while still keeping it crispy. It's not essential, but it's great to use for fluffier pakoras.
Troubleshooting Tips: The moisture increases depending on whether you use more vegetables, let them sit longer, or work the mixture more vigorously. To address this, add less water or more besan.
-If the mixture is too loose/wet toward the bottom, distribute the moisture by mixing it again. If it's still watery, add 1-2 tbsp gram flour until it's homogeneous.
-If it's too dry, allow it to sit until the vegetables release their moisture. You should not need any more water than called for in the recipe.
-If the mixture is too loose/wet toward the bottom, distribute the moisture by mixing it again. If it's still watery, add 1-2 tbsp gram flour until it's homogeneous.
-If it's too dry, allow it to sit until the vegetables release their moisture. You should not need any more water than called for in the recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1002mg | Potassium: 584mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 673IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 3mg