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Vegetable Pakora Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 468 reviews

Crispy and flavorful Vegetable Pakoras, made with a mix of fresh vegetables coated in a spiced gram flour batter and deep-fried to golden perfection. Perfect as a snack or appetizer, these pakoras are best served hot with chutney and chai.

Ingredients

Scale

Vegetables

  • ⅓ cup (50 g) Onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup (65 g) Cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup (80 g) Potato, shredded or thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup (45 g) Carrot, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup (45 g) Bell Pepper/Capsicum, thinly sliced
  • Handful Coriander, chopped
  • 2 Green Chillies, finely chopped
  • 1 inch Ginger, peeled and grated

Spices & Batter

  • 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Carom seeds (Ajwain)
  • Pinch Turmeric Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
  • ½ cup (90 g) Gram Flour (Besan)
  • Salt, to taste
  • ¼ cup Water (plus 2–3 tablespoons more if needed)

For Frying

  • 4 cups Oil (for deep frying)

Instructions

  1. Crush spices: Using a mortar and pestle, crush the fennel seeds and carom seeds until fragrant to release their essential oils.
  2. Prepare batter base: In a wide mixing bowl, combine gram flour, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, and the crushed fennel and carom seeds. Mix well to evenly distribute the spices.
  3. Add vegetables: Add the sliced onion, cabbage, potato, carrot, bell pepper, chopped coriander, green chillies, and grated ginger to the bowl. Mix everything thoroughly to coat the vegetables with the dry spice mixture.
  4. Bind the batter: Gradually add 3 to 4 tablespoons water to the vegetable mixture and start mixing. Add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of water if necessary until you achieve a thick batter that coats and binds the vegetables together without being runny.
  5. Heat oil: Place a deep frying pan or skillet on medium heat and pour in 4 cups of oil. Heat the oil until it reaches roughly 350°F (175°C) or hot enough for frying.
  6. Fry pakoras: Carefully drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil, frying in batches to avoid overcrowding. Fry each batch for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally to cook evenly, until the pakoras are golden brown and crispy on all sides.
  7. Drain and rest: Using a slotted spoon, remove the pakoras from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
  8. Serve: Serve the hot pakoras immediately with chutney and chai for a classic snack pairing.

Notes

  • Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying to prevent the pakoras from absorbing excess oil.
  • Add water slowly to achieve the right batter consistency; it should be thick enough to coat the vegetables but not watery.
  • You can customize the vegetables based on your preference or seasonal availability.
  • For a healthier version, consider shallow frying or air frying, but traditional pakoras are best deep-fried for crispiness.
  • Serve pakoras fresh as they tend to lose their crispiness if kept for long.

Keywords: Vegetable Pakora, Indian snack, deep-fried pakora, gram flour fritters, crispy pakoras, vegetarian snack

Find it online: https://nayabaker.com/vegetable-pakora-recipe/