Ever have pakoras? No?! You are missing out on one of the easiest, tastiest and most popular household Indian snacks! They’re crispy Indian fritters generally made with the ‘classic’ mix of onions and green chilies, but they come in ALL variations – sliced potato, eggplant, spinach leaves, cauliflower, stuffed long hot peppers, tomato – you name it, it’s been pakora’ed. Growing up, we would generally eat them on occasion or when it was a cold, rainy, dreary day – for whatever reason, they just warm you right up and turn that dreary day upside down! They are best served with chai, but I also like to pair them with a crisp, ice-cold soda or a sparkling rose if I’m feeling fancy (or hosting some friends!).

What’s even more amazing about pakoras is they’re naturally vegan, gluten-free and protein packed! Why? You guessed it – chickpea flour (or we call besan flour). Dry chickpeas that have been ground down to a flour ad is widely used across India in many MANY different ways. This flour is used for the batter and when mixed with a little baking soda, makes the perfect crispy, golden brown batter.

So – if you’re feeling down, or it’s a dreary raining day OR you just haven’t tried pakoras yet – this is your sign to make them. Pro tips – prepare your batter, mix and let sit for 15 minutes. It created a more adhesive batter and is perfect to make ahead. Another pro tip – use a neutral, high smoking point oil like avocado or a clean fermented oil like Zero Acre Farm. Once you’re done frying up your pakoras, completely cool the oil, strain through a fine mesh strainer and save to use later!

Classic Pakoras:

• 1 cup besan flour – sifted
• 1/3-1/2 cup room temp water
• 1/2 tsp each – ground ajwain, ground cumin, red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• pinch ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow or red onion – sliced
• 3-4 Indian/Thai green chilies – minced
• chaat masala for garnish
• fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnish
• neutral oil for frying
• green chutney for serving recipe here

1. Sift the besan flour in a large bowl. Add in the spices, salt, and baking soda, whisk. Slowly whisk in 1/3 cup of water and continue mixing until a smooth batter forms – should be the consistency of a pancake batter. If it’s too thick, add a bit more water. Give it a quick taste just to make sure the batter has enough salt. Let rest 5 minutes.

2. Add in the sliced onions and chilies. Mix to coat – onions should be coated just enough until the batter is sticking to the onions, but slightly drips off. It shouldn’t be TOO thin and watery. Let rest another 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, place a large frying pot on the stove. Pour in neutral oil about 1/2 to 3/4 way up. Set over medium heat and heat until about 350 degrees. Add a droplet of batter to test and if it immediately bubbles and comes to the surface, it’s ready.

4. I like to wear gloves to pick up a heft tbsp worth of mixture and carefully drop/place into the hot oil. Fry for about 3-5 minutes making sure to turn the pakora around so all sides cook and get golden brown. Remove and drain on a foil plus paper towel lined plate. Immediately hit it with chaat masala. Fry up all of the pakoras. Leftover batter can be placed in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days max.

5. Garnish with fresh coriander before serving.