Besan Pakora Recipe (Pakoray)

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The Crispy and crunchy besan pakora recipe is all about playing with pakora batter. It's a famous Pakistani and Indian street food snack that people love to eat with green chutney. No one excuses when Pakoray is on the table! Purely vegan and gluten-free appetizer with an irresistible taste.

Today, I am making EXTRA crispy and crunchy pakoray with onion rings, potato slices and in lacha style.

About Pakoray

Golden fried vegetable fritters fried with the coating of gram flour (besan) are 'Pakoray'. Most popular Indian snack of street food that no one can avoid. These handheld pakoras are extremely crispy in texture and soft and juicy from inside.

Making pakora recipe is so easy and everyone has their own taste to make pakora. Literally, every taste is unique and special. Making pakora batter is essentially important to make crispy pakora with the flavor of balanced spices.

If you are a tourist and looking for some street snacks then give it a try at any Indian or Pakistani restaurant and you will surely love the taste.

In the subcontinent, pakoray is also the signature snack during raining season. As the clouds thunder, every house prepares pakora. I don't know why is it associated with rain but I always love to enjoy it. I guess to make the time special with loved ones.

Pakoray is also famous as a Ramadan snack as iftar seems incomplete without pakoras. Here is the idea to make pakora batter and prepare 3 different pakoras for you to try as a Ramadan recipe of Iftar.

Vegetables To Use in Pakora

There are some set standards to make besan pakora recipe with onions, and potatoes.

Here in this recipe, I am making:

Onion Ring Pakora
Potato Slice Pakora
Lacha Pakora (combination of onion and potatoes)

I used the same pakora batter to fry all these pakoras. So this is very simple and easy to make it at home with different flavors at one time. Watch the video to get a better idea.

Here are some more ideas to add different vegetables to make pakara:

Eggplant (baingan): Spice the slices with salt and chili and coat them with pakora batter to fry.
Spinach (Palak): Extremely crispy pakora recipe idea. Cut the spinach ribbons or coat the full leave of spinach in batter and fry.
Cauliflower (Gobi): Cut the small flowers of cauliflower and dipped them in pakora batter to golden fry.
Jalapeno Chili (Moti Mirch): Remove the seeds and fill the inside of the chilies with chaat masala and dunk into thick pakora batter and fry.
Cabbage: The best way to eat cabbage snacks! slice the cabbage and dip in besan pakora batter and golden fry it.
Carrots & Capsicum: Makes a perfect combination and gives the best flavor. Slice or make it in Julianne cut and dip in gram flour batter to golden fry.
Brocolli: finely chop and fry dipping with pakora batter.
Asparagus: add the Julianne cut in besan and fry to make it golden in color.

Ingredients

Gram Flour: It's a ground chickpea flour called Besan. It's gluten-free and extremely nutty in taste. You can easily find it in US, Uk, and Australia at any Indian and Pakistani grocery store.

Cornflour: Used to add Extra crispiness to this pakora recipe.

Spices: Used salt, red chili powder, and homemade chaat masala.

Baking Soda (optional): I personally add it in a form of a pinch. It helps to fry fluffy pakora with a crispy texture. It's all optional, without addition there will be no difference in taste only the pakora will be less fluffy in look.

Vegetables: Used sliced russet potatoes, onion rings, and green chilies.

Water: To adjust the consistency of pakora batter.

Oil: Used to deep fry the pakoray.

How to Make Pakora Recipe

Step 1: Make Pakora Batter

In a bowl, add gram flour(besan), corn flour, salt, red chili powder, chaat masala powder, and baking soda, and mix all the ingredients together with the help of a whisk.
Now slowly and gradually add water and make a thick paste.
Beat the mixture for a few minutes until you get a smooth texture.
Cover the bowl for 30 minutes to get set.

Step 2: Prepare Vegetables

To prepare 3 different pakoras, cut onions in the form of rings and slices.
In the same way, cut potato into slices and in fingerstyle (like thin french fries).

Step 3: Deep Frying

Deep Fry Sliced Potato Pakora: Dip the potato slices in pakora batter and coat them well. Deep fry in hot oil until turned to golden brown color. As the potato slices get golden brown color take it out on kitchen paper.
Deep Fry Onion Ring Pakora: Dip the onion rings in pakora batter and coat them well. Place in hot oil and deep fry to get golden brown color.
Deep Fry Laccha Pakora: In the same batter, add thinly sliced onions and potatoes along with chopped green chilies and mix them well with pakora batter. Pour it with hand or spoon in hot oil to golden fry.
Now all the Pakoras are ready to eat.
Serve and enjoy with chutney.

Pakora Recipe Video

Crispy Pakora Tips

Here are some tips that will help to make crispy pakora at home. It will not get soggy if you follow the tips.

Always use premium quality gram flour (besan). If the quality of besan is compromised then it will make a big difference in pakora taste. Use fresh and finely strained besan.
Consistency of Pakora Batter: If the pakora batter is thin then it will not stick on vegetables during frying so the whole recipe will move to flop. If pakora batter is extremely thick then it will make a heavy layer on vegetables that will not give the best eating experience. Pakora should be lightweight, crispy, and just melt in mouth without making effort. So the game changer is pakora batter. Make it semi-consistent in texture and beat it well to avoid all the lumps. Monitor the quantity of water to adjust the consistency. Add water in batches so it will be easy to manage.
Make uniform cutting of all the vegetables.
Vegetables release water so sometimes the pakora batter shows a runny texture. Keep in mind before making pakora batter.
Add spices according to your taste.
The addition of corn flour will the pakora crispy.
To make it extra crispy, use Rice flour along with Corn flour.
Never fry pakoray on high heat. Initially pour the pakora on high heat and it starts to get hard then turn the heat to medium to cook from inside.
Never cover pakoras right after taking them out from the oil.
Here are some deep frying tips for beginners.

Pakoray Chutney or Sauces

Green chutney (Hari chutney): Pakoray seems incomplete without dunked into green chutney prepared with fresh coriander, mind, and spices.
Tamarind Sauce (Imli ki chutney): Pair up green chutney with hot and sour Imli ki chutney. It will refresh your mouth and give you a moment to enjoy the best taste of pakoray. I personally store it in my refrigerator and serve it with pakoras and other snacks.
Mint Chutney with Yogurt (Samosa Chutney): It's a form of green chutney prepared with yogurt and mint. People also serve this chutney with Samosa. It also makes the best combination with pakoray.

Why Pakora gets soggy?

Here are the possible reasons to get soggy:
1) If the pakora batter is so thick then it will get soggy due to the absorption of oil.
2) Always fry pakora on high heat and as it starts getting hard then turn the temperature to medium to make it crispy and cook from inside. Sometimes the pakora doesn't cook properly from inside so it becomes soggy.
3) Never ever cover pakoras right after taking them out from the oil. Otherwise it will get soggy.

What is the secret of crispy pakora?

Use cornflour and to make it extra crispy add a teaspoon of rice powder. Restaurant chefs use this trick to make extremely crispy pakoras.

Why does Pakora absorb oil?

Because it doesn't fry on right temperature. Here is the deep frying guide to follow.

How to get rid of greasy pakora?

Squeeze the oil with a spoon or spatula while taking it out from the oil. That's the prime time to get rid of excess oil. I always squeeze it by dragging it on the pan side. (Check the video timespan 02:01 - 2:03).

What to do if Pakora batter is thin or runny?

If pakora batter is runny then add more besan (gram flour) and give it a good mix. Vegetables release water so sometimes it shows runny texture.

More Pakora Ideas

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