Take 1 piece of fresh carrot and 1 piece of potato of medium size. Peel them, grate them, and keep them in a bowl.

Now, the other piece of potato, 1 medium-sized brinjal, 2 florets of cauliflower, 5 to 6 leaves of fresh spinach, 1 large piece of onion, and 3 pieces of fresh green chilies. Cut them all into very small pieces and add to the bowl. (Pro tip: You can add all of these vegetables or change the variety according to your preference).

Follow it with 2 tbsp of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and regular table salt to taste. Mix them all very nicely and keep them aside for about 5 to 10 minutes. (Pro tip: Adding salt at this stage is better because it will be easy to mix it. It will not only help the vegetables to become soft but will also help them release water in these 5 to 10 minutes).

Now, take a deep-bottom wok, pour an adequate amount of cooking oil in it, and heat it on a high flame to fry the pakoras. (Pro tip: Heating oil at this stage is important because you will have it ready to fry when you are done preparing the batter. Also, you will need hot oil to prepare the batter for the pakoras).

Now, to make the batter, put 2 cups or 250 gm of gram flour (besan) to the chopped vegetables in the bowl. Also, add ½ tsp of dry red chili powder to it.

Follow it with ½ tsp of coriander powder and ¼ tsp of carom seeds (ajwain).

Then, add 1 tsp of chaat masala powder. (Pro tip: You can use dry mango powder (amchur) or fresh lemon juice to it as well in place of chaat masala powder if you do not have it at home).

Now, add 2 tbsp of rice flour to the ingredients in the bowl. This will make the pakoras crispy. Finally, add 1 tsp of ginger and garlic paste.

Mix them all nicely. Add water gradually as needed while mixing. Do not add too much water at once because you will not be able to take it back. Check the consistency of the mixture and the batter. It must be soft and the gram flour should mix nicely with all the vegetables. (Pro tip: It is best to use your hand while mixing the ingredients. This will help in mashing the vegetables as much as possible while mixing).

Now, add 2 tbsp of hot cooking oil from the wok to the mixture. Also, add ¼ tsp of baking soda to the mixture. (Pro tip: Adding hot oil will make the pakoras crispy from the outside but keep it soft on the inside. And adding the baking soda will make them softer and fluffier).

Mix the oil and baking soda nicely for at least two to three minutes with your hand, whisking it in between. Check the consistency. It should be free-flowing.

Now, take 2 to 3 pieces of vegetables at a time to keep the size of the pakoras small, and deep fry them in hot oil up to 95%. Since these will be fluffy and swollen, taking larger amounts is not recommended. Also, do not fry everything at once. It is better to cook them in a few batches for even frying. (Pro tip: Keep changing the flame from medium to high so that the oil has a constant medium temperature. This will ensure that the raw vegetables cook nicely and all the pakoras together change their color evenly. If it is cool, the pakoras will be oily. If it is hot, it will burn).

Keep an eye on when all the pakoras become light golden in color. Take them out from the hot oil and keep them in a strainer or a container with holes in it. (Pro tip: Keep the pakoras in the strainer for about 5 minutes. Half of the remaining 5% of the cooking process will happen in the strainer itself. At the same time, it will also help in removing the excess oil from the pakoras.

Now, it is time to flash fry the pakoras. Ensure that the oil is very hot and the flame is on high. Then, take all the pakoras in a bowl or a plate and put them into the hot oil carefully from one particular side of the wok to prevent the hot oil from splashing. Fry them for about 15 to 20 seconds only. This will complete the cooking process, making the pakoras crispy from the outside and their color beautiful and perfect.

Now, take the pakoras out in a bowl, sprinkle one to two pinches of chaat masala powder, shake them to mix the masala nicely with all the pieces of pakoras to add to their flavor, and put them on a piece of tissue paper so that it absorbs the excess oil.

Finally, serve the pakoras hot on a plate along with green chutney used for chaats and tomato ketchup to enjoy your homemade, spicy, tasty, and flavorful vegetable pakoras, with or without your evening tea.