Cauliflower pakoda has been a family favorite in my house for quite a few years now. I have vivid memories of hearing the sizzling sounds on the stove while making them. That was the time when making this dish became a habit. My first-ever pakodas turned out a little burnt and oddly shaped but still got eaten up in no time. This version fixes those early mistakes.
Recipe Snapshot:
- Cauliflower pakodas, or fritters, are popular crispy and savory deep-fried snacks enjoyed throughout the Indian subcontinent.
- They are highly sought-after as street food and can be found in restaurants as well.
- Pakodas and tea are inseparable during the rainy season in regions like Bengal, Punjab, and Lucknow.
- From start to finish, this takes me about forty minutes to make them.
- Pakodas are commonly enjoyed during iftar, the meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan, due to their quick preparation, delicious taste, and affordability.
- A few alternatives to cauliflower fritters can be onion pakodas, spinach pakodas, potato pakodas, paneer pakodas, or mixed vegetables pakodas.
The Ingredients:
- Cauliflower: Two Big Sized (Cut into Small Pieces)
- Ginger-Garlic-Chilli Paste: 1 tsp
- Green Chillies: 3 (Finely Chopped)
- Onion: 1 Big Size (Properly Sliced)
- Flour: 4 tbl spoons
- Cornflower: 3 tbl spoons
- Half-Sized Lemon
- Kashmiri Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
- Garam Masala: ½ tsp
- Food Colour: A pinch
- Refined Oil: As much as required
- Salt to Taste
How to Make Cauliflower Pakoda (Step by Step Images)?
1. Clean the cauliflower florets.
2. Heat 2 cups of water in a pan.
3. Add cauliflower florets to the hot water. Boiling water is not needed here.
4. Add some salt to the water. Cover with a lid and let the florets rest for 10 minutes.
(Pro Tip: I do not skip the resting time otherwise it ruins the crunch.)
5. When the florets are half boiled, take them out on a pan.
6. Prepare a batter with flour, cornflower, sliced onions, Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala, ginger-garlic-chilli paste, salt to taste, lemon juice, food colour and a little amount of water.
7. Mix well. If required, add more water and continue mixing to make a thick batter. Cover the batter and leave aside for 5 minutes.
8. Add cauliflower florets to the mixture and mix again.
9. Heat refined oil in a pan. Reduce the flame to medium. Gently slide each cauliflower floret into the oil. Adjust the flame if needed. Don’t add too many florets at a time. Avoid frequent stirring at first. Later continue stirring the pokoras so that they get evenly fried.
(Pro Tip: I ensure medium flame only as high heat browns the outside before the inside cooks.)
10. Once they turn golden and crisp, take them out. Serve the pakoras with tomato ketchup and green chutney (prepared with coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic).
Customize Your Recipe
- I sometimes swap corn flour for rice flour instead.
- I skip food color entirely when cooking for kids.
- I toss in a pinch of ajwain for extra flavor sometimes.
- I occasionally air-fry these florets instead of deep frying for a lighter version.
Cauliflower Pakoda Recipe Solutions Guide
Q: My pakodas broke up as soon as they hit the oil in step 9. Why?
A: Maybe too much water clung to the boiled florets.
Q: Why are my pakodas pale even though I added food color in step 6?
A: I would blame uneven mixing for this issue.
Q: I fried a lot of the pakodas together in step 9 and half of them came out soggy. Is there a way around this?
A: You must always fry in small batches to prevent temperature drop.
Q: Why is it that my batter is not adhering well to the florets?
A: I had the same issue on my first try as well. Making the batter a bit thick would prevent this.
Q: Why do my pakodas still taste bland even after I added salt in step 6?
A: Maybe you forgot to add salt to the water in step 4.
Q: The oil turned black towards the end of step 9. Can I prevent this?
A: Remove the bits of batter from the oil every time.
Recipe Card
Cauliflower Pakoda (Gobi Pakora)
Ingredients
- 2 pcs Cauliflower Big Sized (Cut into Small Pieces)
- 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic-Chilli Paste
- 3 pcs Green Chillies (Finely Chopped)
- 1 pcs Onion (Properly Sliced)
- 4 tbsp Refined Flour
- 3 tbsp Cornflower
- 1/2 tbsp lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tbsp Garam Masala
- refined oil As much as required
- Food Colour A pinch
- Salt to Taste
Instructions
- Clean the cauliflower florets.
- Heat 2 cups of water in a pan.
- Add cauliflower florets to the hot water. Boiling water is not needed here.
- Add some salt to the water. Cover with a lid and let the florets rest for 10 minutes. (Pro Tip: I do not skip the resting time because soggy florets ruin the crunch.)
- When the florets are half boiled, take them out on a pan.
- Prepare a batter with flour, corn flour , sliced onions, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, ginger-garlic-chili paste, salt to taste, lemon juice, food color and a little amount of water.
- Mix well. If required, add more water and continue mixing to make a thick batter. Cover the batter and leave aside for 5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower florets to the mixture and mix again.
- Heat refined oil in a pan. Reduce the flame to medium. Gently slide each cauliflower floret into the oil. Adjust the flame if needed. Avoid frequent stirring at first. Later continue stirring the pakodas so that they get evenly fried. (Pro Tip: I ensure medium flame only as high heat browns the outside before the inside cooks.)
- Once they turn golden and crisp, take them out. Serve the pakodas with tomato ketchup and green chutney (prepared with coriander leaves, green chilies, ginger and garlic).
