Vegetable Pakora Recipe
Crispy, crunchy, deep-fried goodness! Vegetable Pakora is a legend on the Asian snack scene! The pakora is a fried fritter which is made using different ingredients. The vegetable pakora, without a doubt is the most famous type in Indian and Pakistani cuisine.
With my easy-to-follow and simple recipe, you can make these delicious nuggets bursting with flavor at home. My detailed, step-by-step recipe will let you impress your family with your cooking skills.
About Vegetable Pakora
People of all ages enjoy vegetable pakoras. From adults to children, everyone loves these fritters!
A smooth gram flour batter, seasoned with different spices, comes together to make delicious crispy vegetable pakoras. Adding various vegetables gives it a crunchy and delicious texture.
The pakora is a beloved tea-time treat. Most importantly, during the month of Ramadan, vegetable pakoras are a favorite Iftar item. Millions of Muslims break their fast throughout the month with dates and Pakoras. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the vegetable pakora is the favorite!
Here are some more of my Snack-related recipes you may like Chicken Pakora, Aloo Pakora.
Why is this Recipe a Favorite?
- I love keeping my recipes simple! And this is one of the easiest. Furthermore, with my detailed steps, you’ll find making pakoras a piece of cake!
- My pakora recipe is great for tweaking. You can change the vegetables used or the amount of spices used. Moreover, it’s also very easy to double this recipe. You can make these pakoras for a crowd!
- In addition to it being an easy recipe, this one is a winner! Pakoras are a favorite for everyone. Your whole family will love this spicy snack.
- What’s more, you can make this as a tea-time treat or as a side with my Chana Daal recipe, or Arvi Bhujia. Never forget to serve pakoras with spicy chutney, and you’ll be left licking your fingers.
Ingredients
Here’s an explanation of the ingredients I use to make vegetable pakoras.
- Baisan/ gram flour: People use baisain or gram flour to make batter for all types of pakoras. Baisin is dry chickpea flour. It is gluten-free and a great snack for vegans or vegetarians, too. The baisan makes deliciously crispy pakoras.
- Various vegetables: The choice of vegetables for a mixed vegetable pakora is up to you. You can use a single vegetable or make a mixed vegetable fritter. My family loves the combination I use here: spinach, potato, and onions. Many people enjoy eggplant/aubergine pakoras, too. You can use carrots, bell peppers, and cabbage as well. Finely slice all the vegetables so they can cook while frying.
- Spices and aromatics: As far as spices go, these pakoras call for basic spices that are probably already present in your pantry. Red chili powder for a spicy kick, coriander and cumin for a delicious aroma, and salt. The coriander and zeera are roasted and crushed, making the aroma and flavor stronger.
- Baking soda: Baking soda is a leavening agent. Adding it to the pakora batter makes soft, light, and crispy pakoras.
For quantities, check the recipe card.
Instructions
Now, let’s finally start making delicious, gluten-free veg pakoras!
- First, in a large mixing bowl, add 6 tablespoons of besan, one tablespoon roasted and crushed coriander, salt and ½ tablespoon red chili powder, ¼ tablespoon roasted and crushed zeera powder, 1 sliced onion, 4 leaves of palak sliced, one potato, few leaves of mint, and a pinch of baking soda.
- Mix all the ingredients. Now, gradually add water and keep mixing the batter. The batter should be thick.
- Now, let the batter sit for 15 to 20 minutes to combine all the spices and flavor.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.
Mix the batter thoroughly while gradually adding water.
- After about 20 minutes, the batter will be a little runnier than before because the onions release their water.
- Next it’s time to start frying our vegetable pakoras.
- Heat oil in a wok or kadhai over medium heat. Place the batter in the oil using a tablespoon and let it fry.
After 2o minutes, give the batter a good mix. It’s ready for frying.
Heat oil in a large wok, and place tablespoons full in the oil.
- Fry the pakoras in batches.
- Let the pakoras fry in the oil, untouched for at least 5 minutes. Then, using a slotted spoon, flip the pakoras on the other side. Be careful so as not to break them. Using the Strain Skimmer Spoon, you can easily fry and flip the pakoras.
Let the pakoras fry on one side for about 5 minutes.
- Fry the pakoras till they are a golden brown color.
- Place the fried pakoras on kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.
- Finally, serve the pakoras with a chutney of your choice, and enjoy!
Hint: Only add a pinch of baking soda to the batter. If you add more, it will absorb oil while frying and make the pakoras greasy.
Don’t add too much water when mixing the batter, as the onions will release their own water.
Substitutions
If you are not fond of leavening agents, you can substitute baking soda for yogurt. Some people also add eggs to the batter to make it light and crispy.
Variations
Pakoras make a great snack. In addition to being easy to make, they can be tweaked as preferred. For example:
You can make vegetable pakora, but using a single vegetable instead of a mixture:
- eggplant
- potato
- onions
- cauliflower florets
- boiled eggs
- cottage cheese/feta cheese
- jumbo green chillies
These can all be dipped in a gram flour mixture to make vegetable pakora.
For the meat lovers, you can try my chicken pakora recipe!, I’m sure you will love it.
Equipment
The list of kitchen essential equipment I used for this recipe is below:
- Large mixing bowl to make the batter in.
- Chopping board and knife to chop the veggies.
- Large wok or karahi to fry the pakoras in.
- Sieve or colander, if needed to sift the gram flour.
- Measuring spoons
Top tips
- Always ensure the oil is hot before adding the pakora batter because adding pakoras to cold oil will lead to soggy pakoras.
- On the other hand, if the oil is too hot, the pakoras will brown quickly but remain raw inside. Therefore the oil should neither be too hot, nor too cold.
- After mixing the batter, always let it sit for 20 minutes because this will allow the spices and flavors to come together and the vegetables to release their moisture, too.
- I recommend adding bicarbonate of soda because it makes the pakoras very light and crispy.
- Never add too much water to the batter or too quickly. Go slowly when adding water.
FAQ
No, unfortunately, pakoras can never be stored because they are soggy and soft. They need to be eaten hot off the stove.
Besides making the batter too runny, the vegetable-to-batter ratio may be off by adding too much water. Try using less vegetables. Additionally, add more gram flour to the vegetables and adjust spices.
Always check the oil’s temperature by adding a bit of batter. It should start to bubble immediately. Additionally, always fry the pakoras on medium heat so they cook on the inside and crisp up on the outside.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
