Indian Onion and Scallion Pakora

About This Recipe

Pakora are among the most common Indian fried snacks, made by coating sliced vegetables in a spiced chickpea flour batter and deep-frying until crisp. This version leans heavily on onion and scallion, sliced thin so they wilt slightly into the batter and create lacy, crunchy edges when fried, with fresh ginger adding a sharp warmth throughout. The batter's consistency is the main technical hurdle: too thick and the pakora turn doughy in the center, too thin and they won't hold together in the oil. Salting the sliced onions briefly before mixing draws out moisture that naturally thins the batter to the right consistency without needing to add much extra water. A pinch of baking soda or rice flour in the batter helps create extra crispness at the edges. Served hot with a mint-cilantro or tamarind chutney, pakora are a fixture of monsoon-season snacking across India, best eaten within minutes of coming out of the oil while they're still audibly crackling.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.5 cupchickpea flour (besan)
• 2 tbsprice flour
• 3 wholeonions, thinly sliced
• 4 stalkscallions, sliced
• 1 tbspfresh ginger, grated
• 2 wholegreen chilies, minced
• 1 tspajwain (carom seeds)
• 1 tspred chili powder
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 1.25 tspsalt
• 0.25 cupcilantro, chopped
• 500 mloil, for frying
• 3 tbspwater, as needed

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the onions

   Toss sliced onions with 1 tsp salt and let sit 10 minutes until they release moisture and soften slightly.

2. 2

   Mix the batter

   Add scallions, ginger, green chili, ajwain, chili powder, turmeric, cilantro, chickpea flour, and rice flour to the onions. Mix well, using the released onion liquid plus a splash of water if needed to form a thick, clingy batter.

3. 3

   Heat the oil

   Heat oil in a deep pan or wok to 175C (350F). Test with a small drop of batter — it should sizzle and rise within a couple seconds.

4. 4

   Fry the pakora

   Drop small clusters of the mixture into the oil using your hands or a spoon. Fry 3-4 minutes per side until deep golden and crisp, working in batches.

5. 5

   Drain and serve

   Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with mint-cilantro or tamarind chutney.

Variations

• •

  Add sliced potato or spinach leaves along with the onion for mixed vegetable pakora.

• •

  Add a pinch of baking soda to the batter for extra crispness and puff.

• •

  Serve over yogurt with tamarind and mint chutneys drizzled on top for a pakora chaat.

Storage

Best eaten fresh and hot; leftovers can be refrigerated up to 2 days and re-crisped in a 200C oven for 8-10 minutes, though texture won't fully match freshly fried.

Frequently Asked Questions