- Prep time15 mins
- Cook time20 mins
- Servings4
- DifficultyEasy
- CategoryDesi
Pakoras live or die by the batter: barely any water, just enough chickpea flour to cling. The vegetables' own moisture does the rest, which is why the mix should look almost dry before frying. Rice flour in the batter is the crunch insurance — it fries up glassy and stays crisp long after the pakoras leave the oil. Serve them the second they are cool enough to hold, with mint chutney.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) chickpea flour (besan)
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium potato, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 cup packed spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 green chilies, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
- 3 to 4 tbsp water, as needed
- Oil, for deep frying
Method
- Toss the onion, potato, spinach, chilies and coriander with the salt and rest 10 minutes — the salt draws out moisture.
- Add the chickpea flour, rice flour, spices and ajwain. Mix with your hands, adding water a spoonful at a time, until the vegetables are just coated in a thick, clinging batter. It should not be pourable.
- Heat oil to 175 C (350 F). Drop in rough tablespoonfuls of the mixture — ragged edges get crispiest.
- Fry in batches for 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain on a rack, sprinkle with a little extra salt and chaat masala, and serve immediately with mint chutney.
Tips for success
- If the batter looks wet, add more besan — watery batter makes greasy pakoras.
- Do not overcrowd the pan; the oil temperature drops and the fritters go soggy.
- Ajwain is traditional for a reason — it aids digestion of the fried batter.
Watch video tutorial
Prefer to watch it being made? This from RecipeTin Eats walkthrough covers the same vegetable pakora step by step — the spoken narration doubles as an audio tutorial.