Pakora Recipe | Vegetable Pakora

Ingredients

• ½ cup besan (gram flour, more if needed)
• ¼ cup rice flour (or 2 tablespoons corn starch, use more if needed proportionally with besan)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 green chili peppers chopped or ½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
• 2 tablespoons mint leaves or coriander leaves or dill leaves chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala powder (optional)
• ½ teaspoons carom seeds (ajwain, optional)
• oil for deep frying as needed

Mixed veggies julienned 2.5 to 3 cups

• 1 medium carrot (¾ cup julienned)
• ¼ cup capsicum (bell peppers)
• 1 cup cabbage (shredded)
• 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
• 6 french beans (julienned)
• 1 cup spinach chopped (optional)

Steps

Preparation

1. Wash the vegetables and cut into thin strips 2 inch long.
2. Put the vegetables in a bowl with the ginger garlic, green chilies or chilli flakes, salt, garam masala, and mint or other herbs. Mix well and squeeze gently to release moisture, then set aside for 10 mins.
3. Mix in the gram flour, rice flour or corn starch, and optional ajwain to form a slightly sticky dough. If too dry, sprinkle in a few tablespoons of water and mix. Keep a sticky dough consistency rather than a batter.
4. Taste and add more salt, garam masala, or green chilies.

How to Make Pakora

1. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Drop in a small piece of dough to test: it should sizzle and rise without browning, indicating the right temperature.
2. Flatten small portions of dough with your fingers to 1½ inch pieces and gently slide into the hot oil. Do not shape the dough or drop it in lumps.
3. Keep the heat at medium and leave undisturbed for a minute or 2, until slightly firm. Then stir and fry until golden, crisp, and aromatic.
4. Lift the pakoras onto a cooling rack or steel colander. Before the next batch, check that the oil is hot enough without smoking. Continue frying in batches until all the dough is used.
5. Serve hot with a cup of masala tea, coriander chutney, or green chutney.
6. For longer-lasting crispness, keep the pakoras on a wire rack in an oven set low. You may also reheat them in an air fryer.