Crispy Onion Pakoras
This is a study in texture. If you use too much liquid, you get a steamed dumpling; if you use just enough to bind, you get the crisp, airy edges that define a proper street-style pakora.
Master the moisture
Onions release water as they sit with salt; do not add extra water to your batter until you have mixed the onions and spices first to see how much liquid they shed.
- Heavy-bottomed pot or wok
- Spider strainer or slotted spoon
- Mixing bowl
- Paper towel-lined tray
What goes in.
- 3 largeyellow onions, halved and sliced into thin half-moons
- 1 cupchickpea flour (besan)
- 2 tbsprice flour
- 1 tbspginger, grated
- 2green chilies, finely chopped
- 1/2 tspcarom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 tspcoriander seeds, crushed
- 1/2 tspturmeric powder
- 1 handfulfresh cilantro, chopped
- To tastesalt
- As neededneutral oil for deep frying
The squeeze and coat method
Rub the salt into the onions and let them sit for 5 minutes. The batter should look like a thick, sticky paste that barely clings to the onion strands; if it drips off, it is too wet.
The method.
Prep the onions
Place sliced onions in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and massage with your hands. Let them sit until they look slightly wilted and liquid gathers at the bottom of the bowl.
Mix the dry
Add the chickpea flour, rice flour, spices, ginger, and chilies to the onions. Mix with your fingers. The moisture from the onions should pull the flour into a sticky coating.
Adjust
Add a teaspoon of water at a time if the flour is still dry and dusty. You want just enough binder to hold the onion strands together, not a batter.
Heat the oil
Bring oil to 350°F (175°C). Test by dropping a small pinch of batter in; it should rise to the surface immediately with steady bubbles.
Fry
Drop small, loose clumps of the mixture into the oil. Do not overcrowd the pot. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping once, until they are deep brown.
Drain
Lift with a spider and transfer to the paper towel-lined tray. Let them drain for at least a minute before serving.
Other turns to take.
Spinach added
Add a handful of shredded spinach leaves to the mix for earthiness; ensure the leaves are bone-dry before adding.
Potato twist
Replace one onion with a finely julienned potato to increase the body and starch content.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use rice flour to guarantee the crispness; chickpea flour alone can sometimes turn soft quickly.
Crush the coriander seeds with the back of a knife to release their oils rather than using powder.
If the pakoras are greasy, your oil temperature was likely too low.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I bake these?
No. Pakoras require the immediate high-heat sear of oil to create the characteristic lacey edges.
Why did my pakoras fall apart in the oil?
You likely added too much water. The batter must be a thick, tacky film, not a slurry.
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