Crispy Onion Pakoda is one of my favorite veg snacks, especially in the winter or rainy evenings. I especially like the fact that it needs few ingredients like chickpea flour, rice flour, chopped green chilies, and Kashmiri red chili powder apart from finely sliced onions and is quick and easy to make at home. These crispy treats are just perfect when I want to treat myself to something homemade in the evenings while I sip on some nice tea.
Before You Start:
- Crispy Onion Pakodas have a crispy exterior, flavorful interiors, offering a delightful textural contrast.
- They are quick and easy to prepare, making them a popular choice for tea-time snacks or as a comforting treat.
- These pakodas taste earthy and slightly spicy.
- Serve Crispy Onion Pakodas with accompaniments like puffed rice, mint chutney, tamarind chutney, tomato ketchup, masala chai, pickles, or a fresh salad to enhance the snacking experience.
- I can make this dish in half an hour, divided equally for preparation and cooking.
- A few alternatives to these pakodas are aloo pakoda, paneer pakoda, bread pakoda, moong dal pakodas, mirchi bajji or stuffed chili fritters, medu vada, and vegetable pakoras made with a variety of vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflower, spinach, and onions.
The Ingredients:
- Chopped Onions – 400 gm
- Chickpea flour – 150 gm
- Rice flour – 50 gm
- Chopped green chili – 1 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder – ½ tablespoon
- Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
- Refined oil – as much as required for deep frying
How to Make Crispy Onion Pakoda (Stepwise Images)?
1. Add a little bit of salt to the onion. Mix well.
2. Add the green chilies, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder, chickpea flour and rice flour. Mix well.
3. Heat as much refined oil as required in the wok. Scoop a spoonful of onion batter and drop it into the hot oil.
(Pro tip: Do not fry a larger number of pakodas at a time. This will prevent uniform cooking and make them easy to handle).
4. Turn the flame low when deep frying. Once one side of the pakoras turns golden brown, flip them over and fry the other side. The entire process will not take more than 3-4 minutes.
(Pro tip: Do not flip the pakodas immediately. Let one side cook nicely first).
5. Once done, take them out on a paper towel spread over a plate.
6. Crispy onion pakoda is ready..
Make It Your Way
- I add some ajwain when I want a subtle earthy scent.
- Sometimes I grind some coriander seeds into it to get a spicier and more pronounced flavor.
- When I have some finely chopped fresh curry leaves, I finely chop some of them and mix them into the onions.
- I add more chopped green chili when I want some heat while leaving the Kashmiri chili powder alone.
- To get a slightly different flavor, I add a small bundle of finely sliced spring onion greens. It gives it a nice fresh savory kick without overpowering the onions.
Crispy Onion Pakoda Recipe Handy Hacks
Q: Why are my onion pakodas breaking up in Step 3 when frying?
A: Maybe your batter has not been thoroughly mixed with the onions.
Q: What if the pakodas are browning too rapidly in Step 4?
A: You may try removing the wok from the flame for some time. This will reduce the heat so that the onions have a chance to cook without browning as they should.
Q: How will I know when to remove the pakodas?
A: Keep an eye for a golden exterior with crispy edges. When you notice both in step 4, it is time to remove them from the oil.
Q: Why do my pakodas turn soggy after removing them on a paper towel in step 5?
A: It should not if you have followed all the earlier steps precisely. However, you can try putting them on a rack instead of a paper towel.
Q: Can I leave the mixture alone for some time in step 2 before frying?
A: I would advise against it. The longer the mixture sits, the more liquid is squeezed from the onions, and it will affect the final outcome.
Recipe Card:
Crispy Onion Pakoda (Onion Fritters)
Ingredients
- Chopped Onions – 400 gm
- Chickpea flour – 150 gm
- Rice flour – 50 gm
- Chopped green chili – 1 tablespoon
- Turmeric powder – ½ tablespoon
- Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
- Refined oil – as much as required for deep frying
Instructions
- Add a little bit of salt to the onion. Mix well.
- Add the green chilies, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder, chickpea flour and rice flour. Mix well.
- Heat as much refined oil as required in the wok. Scoop a spoonful of onion batter and drop it into the hot oil. (Pro tip: Do not fry a larger number of pakodas at a time. This will prevent uniform cooking and make them easy to handle).
- Turn the flame low when deep frying. Once one side of the pakoras turns golden brown, flip them over and fry the other side. The entire process will not take more than 3-4 minutes. (Pro tip: Do not flip the pakodas immediately. Let one side cook nicely first).
- Once done, take them out on a paper towel spread over a plate.
- Crispy onion pakoda is ready.
