Onion fritters (pakoda) step-by-step recipe with photos.
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About this recipe
Hot pakodas and a cup of masala chai (tea) – this will never go out of fashion on a rainy day. This is something every household in India has enjoyed for generations. Pakoda can be made with many vegetables, but nothing matches the taste of the onion pakodas. This oh-so-good snack is served with mint chutney or tomato sauce. But who needs accompaniments when something tastes this good anyway!
Pakoda or pakora or bhajiya is a well-known snack as well as street food that is popular across India. I think if there is one snack that is common across most regions in India despite different cuisines, it is this. This simple dish is made by combining thinly sliced onion with besan (gram flour/chickpea flour) and a few slices.
Ingredients
Onions: I prefer to use red/pink onions to make pakoda.
Besan: Besan is gram flour or chickpea flour and is the main ingredient to make the pakoda batter.
Herbs: I use coriander leaves, and curry leaves.
Poppy seeds and cashew: These are optional ingredients but adds a great texture and nutty flavour.
Oil: I use sunflower oil for deep frying.
Tips to make perfect pakodas (fritters)
Use cold water to mix the batter. This will make the pakodas crispy.
The batter shouldn’t be too runny. The fritters will not be crispy if the batter is runny. At the same time, the batter shouldn’t be too thick as well.
Do not mix the batter too much. Mix just until it comes together.
Do not fry them on low flame else the fritters will turn out very oily and hard.
You may choose to add 1 tbsp rice flour along with gram flour.
For best tasting pakoda, use red/pink onions.
Always reheat the pakoda in an oven or air fryer, and not in a microwave. Reheating them in the microwave will make them soggy. You may also choose to place them on a tava/griddle and reheat on low flame
Serve hot pakodas with masala chai! Or serve them with churmuri for the perfect rainy-day snack!
Step by step instructions
1. Mix thinly sliced onion with gram flour and the rest of the ingredients
2. Put small portions of the batter in hot oil in batches
3. Fry until the onion fritters are golden and crunchy
4. Drain on a kitchen towel
5. Hot pakoda/onion fritter ready to be served
Pakodas served with churumuri
Perfect rainy-day snack!
Recipe card
Pakoda
Ingredients
- 2 large onions – 2 large thinly sliced
- ¾ cup besan (chickpea flour/gram flour)
- 1-2 green chilli finely chopped or to taste
- 5-6 curry leaves finely chopped
- A handful coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 2 tbsp cashew broken (optional)
- ¼ tsp chilli powder or to taste
- 1 tbsp oil (should be very hot)
- Oil for deep frying
- ¼ cup water approximately (should be cold)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chilli, poppy seeds, cashew, salt, chilli powder
- Now add chickpea flour and mix together
- Pour 1 tbsp hot oil into the mixture. Oil should be so hot that as soon as you pour it, it starts to form bubbles on the flour
- Add cold water slowly and mix to form a batter. The onions should be coated well with the batter
- Heat oil in a deep fry pan or fryer. Once the oil is hot enough, take a small portion of batter and gently put it in the oil. Put 3-4 fritter in a batch and fry them on medium heat until golden brown
- Drain on a kitchen towel and serve hot
Notes
- Use cold water to mix the batter. This will make the pakodas crispy
- The batter shouldn’t be too runny. The fritters will not be crispy if the batter is runny. At the same time the batter shouldn’t be too thick as well
- Don’t fry them on low flame else the fritters will turn out very oily
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