How To Make Tasty Vegetable Pakora Recipe

Recipe for vegetable pakora, made with a variety of vegetables, spices, and herbs, as well as gram flour. The combination of chai and pakora is a match made in heaven, and we enjoy the crispy pakora with our chai throughout the year. Chai Pakora is an expression of the Indians' emotional state! We will always cherish the time we were able to spend with our nearest and dearest loved ones while indulging in those steaming pakoras. It doesn't matter if you're starving in the middle of the afternoon, if you get a surprise visit from friends, or if you run into a friend on the street: the first thing that comes to mind is to enjoy the time with some pakora and a steaming cup of chai.

In this post, I will show you how to make the best crunchy vegetable pakora at home, using pictures to guide you through each process step.

About Pakora

Crispy fritters called pakora are made with vegetables like onions and potatoes, as well as gram flour, various spices, and herbs. It is a well-liked snack and food sold on the streets throughout the Indian subcontinent and is also known as pikora and pakura. There are numerous variations of pakoras that are prepared in the homes, restaurants, and food stalls of the area.

The Onion Pakoda, the vegetable pakora, the Cauliflower Pakoda, the Cabbage Pakoda, the Sweet Corn Pakoda, and the Chicken Pakora are some of the more well-known varieties.

Most pakoras fall into two categories: those prepared with a batter and those equipped with dough, such as these vegetable pakoras. We make the batter whenever we want to make pakora with a sliced ingredient, such as a slice of potato, eggplant, bread, or paneer. After being dipped in the batter, these slices are then immediately deep-fried.

To make pakoras with finely chopped ingredients like shredded vegetables, thin slices of onions, etc., we coat the components with dry flour and mix to form a pakora mixture similar to dough. This is then deep fried in small portions until it is crisp, fragrant, and golden in color.

Your home will be filled with a refreshing aroma when you have perfectly made pakora, and I am sure you won't be able to stop eating just a plate full of these! They are incredibly delicious in addition to being highly addictive.

People frequently get mixed pakora and Indian-style patties, but pakora is not the same. Our cakes are called Tikki, and I have provided a recipe for potato Tikki here on this site.

Pakoras are a type of cake that is airy, not dense, and not shaped in any way. Small portions of dough are carefully dropped into the hot oil, resulting in cakes forming asymmetrical shapes.

Vegetable Pakora Recipe

My recipe is simple enough that you can make it whenever you want using whatever vegetables you have left over in the refrigerator. Additionally, a few of you have reported that you were able to make these with store-bought coleslaw mix. This is the ingredient list for the recipe, in case you were wondering.

Chickpea flour and gram flour are not interchangeable terms in any way. Gram flour was traditionally referred to as besan, but in modern times it is more commonly referred to as either "gram flour," "chana dal gram flour," or "gram flour from Kala chana." White chickpeas, called garbanzo beans or chana, are ground into chickpea flour, and Chana is another name for chickpeas. However, gram flour is made from Kala chana that has been peeled and split, which is the same thing as chana dal.

You can make do with chickpea flour if you're pressed for time, but you shouldn't expect it to provide the same depth of flavor as gram flour (besan). If you are a fan of pakora, I strongly recommend purchasing it from either an Indian store or an Asian grocery store, which is not difficult to acquire. Additionally, try to find a more recent stock, as the flavor of older lentil flours tends to be more bitter.

You can substitute wheat flour for gram flour if you have a sensitivity to gram flour. However, the consistency will be quite different.

In South India, pakora is typically made with rice flour instead of wheat flour. It adds a satisfying crunch and keeps the pakora from becoming greasy by preventing oil absorption. Cornstarch is used in street food stalls because it helps vegetable pakoras achieve a crispier texture. You can use corn starch instead of rice flour if you like. In addition, I have a post with a recipe that explains how to make a limited amount of rice flour at home. You could also try substituting yellow corn flour for white flour.

Seasonings And Botanicals

Ajwain 

Ajwain also referred to as carom seeds, is the primary spice that goes into making pakora. These aid digestion and add a dimension of flavor and spice to the cakes. If they are not available to you, you can skip over them. Garam Masala is a spice blend that is not typically utilized, but the recipe I use for vegetable pakora calls for it.

Herbs

Because curry leaves are so quickly accessible in South Indian cuisine, a large number of people make use of them. They also impart a wonderful aroma and are beneficial to the digestive process. There are some pakora recipes from North India that call for the addition of coriander leaves. On the other hand, my mom regularly included mint leaves, also known as pudina. You are free to have whatever you would like in this section.

Vegetables

I use a combination of onions, cabbage, French beans, bell peppers, and carrots in this dish's preparation. These are bite-sized portions of the vegetables left over from the week after being stored in the refrigerator over the weekend. Always use vegetables with a short cooking time. Steer clear of potatoes and sweet potatoes because their cooking times are significantly longer than the other vegetables. After conducting some tests, I found that they did not cook properly. You can also include leafy greens like spinach or methi if desired.

How To Make Vegetable Pakora

Preparation

1. Thoroughly wash all of the vegetables. I used one cup of shredded cabbage, one medium onion, one-quarter cup of chopped capsicum, one medium carrot, and four and five French beans cut into julienne. Be sure to remove the bean from the inside of the french beans by either chopping it off or removing it. During the frying process, they might explode.

You may also use vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, bhindi, potatoes, sweet potatoes, brinjal, and others in their place. Make sure that all of the vegetables are almost the same size and that they are all long and thin. This contributes to more even cooking. You will need approximately 2.5 to 3 cups of water for this recipe.

2. You could add chopped spinach, methi, coriander, dill, mint leaves, or pudina. I used a good amount of mint leaves because they impart a wonderful flavor and aroma. In addition, add half a teaspoon of salt, one to two chopped green chilies, one teaspoon of crushed ginger-garlic or paste, one-fourth to one-half teaspoon of garam masala, and one green chili.

3. Combine everything and give the vegetables a light squeeze to release some of the moisture that is contained within them. The combination quickly develops a pleasant odor. Put to the side for approximately ten minutes.

4. Add one-half cup of gram flour (also known as besan), one-half teaspoon of Ajwain, and one-quarter cup of rice flour or two to three tablespoons of corn starch.

5. Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly to form a dough. If the mixture is too dry, just a few drops of water should do the trick. Take care not to pour too much water into the container. This should be a fairly stiff dough. I did not use any water because the moisture that was already present in the vegetables was enough to make a dough. Test the flavor, and add additional salt, garam masala, and green chilies as necessary. If you think the dough could use more flour, you can always add more flour while keeping the proportions of the other ingredients the same.

Fry Vegetable Pakora

6. Bring the oil to a simmer in a pan over medium heat. When you test the dough by dropping a small portion, it should sizzle and come back up without turning brown. This indicates the correct temperature; bring the flame up to a medium. Take small pieces of the dough in the palms of your hands and flatten them into portions about 1.5 inches wide. Don't try to make burgers out of them. Drop in hot oil. I have a video of an onion pakoda similar to this one. You are free to check that out. You can switch back and forth between using a spoon and a fork. Keep in mind that if you drop the dough in lumps, you will end up with pakoras that are lumpy, undercooked, and soft. They must be left alone for one to two minutes before being stirred and fried.

7. Cook until the meat is golden brown. Move the food to a rack made of steel, a colander, or some kitchen tissue. Ensure that the oil is sufficiently hot but not smoky before using it. Fry the entire dough in separate batches until all of the dough has been used.

The vegetable pakora should be served hot with coriander chutney, mint chutney, green chutney, or tea.

Pro Tips

1. When making the dough for the pakoras, it is essential to avoid adding excessive water to achieve the desired crispiness. When left alone, vegetables tend to give off moisture. So add accordingly.

2. Cook the vegetable pakoras over a medium flame until they reach the desired level of crispiness. A love that is too low will cause the pakoras to soak up a lot of oil. A pet that is too high will cause the pakoras to be brown without properly cooking the dough on the inside.

3. Because gram flour has such a short shelf life, you must always test a small amount before using it. After being processed for a few months, it tends to develop a bitter taste.

Serving Suggestions

The traditional accompaniment for our pakoras is a steaming mug of masala chai. On the other hand, most people adore green chutney or any fiery sauce, such as this schezwan sauce.

Veggie fritters prepared in the style of South Indian cuisine are called Mixed Vegetable pakora. They have a tantalizing aroma, a satisfying crunch, and a delectable flavor. They go well with a cup of tea and either mint chutney or coriander chutney.

Cook Mode

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

25 minutes

Servings

4

Ingredients (One United States Cup = 240 ML)

• ½ cup besan (gram flour, more if needed)
• ¼ cup rice flour (or two tablespoons corn starch, use more if needed proportionally with besan)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Three chopped green chili peppers or one-half to one teaspoon of dried red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
• Two tablespoons of chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, or dill leaves
• One teaspoon of ginger garlic paste or ginger that has been crushed
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala powder (optional)
• a quarter of a teaspoon of carom seeds (Ajwain, optional)
• oil for deep-frying as required on an as-needed basis
• Approximately 2.5 to 3 cups of julienned assorted vegetables
• One medium carrot (¾ cup julienned)
• ¼ cup capsicum (bell peppers)
• 1 cup cabbage (shredded)
• One onion, medium in size (thinly sliced)
• Six beans from France (julienned)
• 1 cup of chopped spinach, measuring cup (optional)

Preparation

• After washing, cut each vegetable into thin strips about 2 inches long. Check out the pictures that are included in the post.
• Please put them in a bowl with the ginger, garlic, green chilies (or chili flakes), salt, garam masala, and any other herbs you want to use. Remove excess moisture; after thoroughly combining the ingredients, gently squeeze them. Keep aside for 10 mins.
• Mix in Ajwain with the gram flour, rice flour, corn starch, or rice flour (optional). Combine well to form a dough that is just slightly tacky. If the dough is too dry, add a few tablespoons of water and mix it before continuing. It cannot be in the form of batter but must have the consistency of sticky dough.
• Test the flavor and adjust it as necessary by adding more salt, garam masala, or green chilies.

How To Make Pakora

• Prepare the sauce by heating the oil in a deep pan over medium heat. To verify, drop a small portion of the dough into the water; it should sizzle and rise but not turn brown. The temperature at this point is just right.
• Take small portions of the dough and carefully slide them into the hot oil after flattening them with your fingers to a size of about 1.5 inches. You won't be shaping it or clumping it together in any way.
• Adjust the flame so that it is medium. Please do not disturb them for at least a minute or two until they have become somewhat firmer. After that, please stir them and fry them until they are golden, crisp, and fragrant.
• Take the pakoras made with vegetables and place them on a cooling rack or in a steel colander. When you make the next batch, check that the oil is sufficiently hot but not so hot as smoking. Fry the dough in batches until you have used up all of the dough that has been prepared.

It would help if you enjoyed Hot vegetable pakora with a cup of masala tea, green or coriander chutney, and either of these sauces.

If you want them to maintain their crispiness for a more extended period, bake them on a wired rack at a low temperature. Reheating them in an air fryer is another option.

The alternative quantities for the original recipe provided in the recipe card are only for one serving.

For the best results, make sure to follow my in-depth photo instructions and helpful hints that are located above the recipe card.

Nutrition Info (Estimation Only)

Data Relating to Nutrition

• Quantity for Each Serving
• Calories 293
• 144 calories coming from fat
• % Daily Value*
• Fat 16g25%
• 1 gram of saturated fat (0.6%)
• Sodium 33mg1%
• Potassium 353mg10%
• Carbohydrates 30g10%
• Fiber 5g21%
• Sugar 5g6%
• Protein 6g12%
• Vitamin A 3810IU76%
• Vitamin C 28.3mg34%
• Calcium 33mg3%
• Iron 1.2mg7%

* The calculations for %DV are based on consuming 2000 calories per day.