8 Yummy Pakora Recipes You Can Enjoy With Chai This Monsoon Season

Baarish ho rahi hai, chalo padoke tailte hai. Monsoon and pakode are synonymous with each other. Fritters are perhaps India’s favourite tea-time snack for two reasons. One, they are easy to make and, two, because they are extremely versatile. 

If you are tired of using your same old pakora recipe again and again, you’ve come to the right place! Here are 8 delightful fritter recipes for you and your family to relish with chai this monsoon. 

8 Must-Try Pakoda Recipes To Enjoy This Monsoon

1. Jackfruit Bhaji 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Since jackfruits are in season, you can try out this delectable fritter recipe! Serve your Katahal pakoras with some freshly ground coriander chutney and your guests won’t stop asking for more! 

What you’ll need:

• Jackfruit – half
• Salt – about 2. 5 teaspoon
• Besan – 1 cup
• Rice flour – 1 cup
• Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Ginger paste – 1 tablespoon
• Garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
• Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon
• Hot chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Carom seeds – 2 teaspoons
• Green chilli paste – 1 teaspoon
• Dry mango powder – 1 teaspoon
• Oil- about 500 ml
• Water – ¾ cup

Method:

1. Peel and divide the jackfruit lengthwise into 2. Remove the pith and slice the parts into around 6 mm thick smaller slices. Now apply 1 teaspoon chilli powder and 1 teaspoon salt to the pieces and keep them aside for about 30 minutes. 
2. Mix the remaining ingredients well to form a thick batter
3. Now heat the oil to medium-hot.
4. One by one, dip the jackfruit pieces into the batter and drop them into the hot oil. 
5. Keep turning the slices so that they cook evenly. 
6. Keep frying until the slices turn golden-brown.
7. Take the fried slices out on a plate lined with a napkin so that the excess oil gets soaked in.
8. Your jackfruit pakoras are ready to be served! 

2. Palak Pakoda

Palak Pakodas and chai are a match made in heaven. Here is how you can prepare this crispy snack. 

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

What you need: 

• Washed, drained and chopped spinach leaves – 2 ½ cups
• Sliced onions – 1 cup
• Finely chopped coriander and mint leaves – a handful
• Ginger and garlic paste – ½ teaspoon
• Carom seeds – ½ teaspoon
• Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
• Garam masala – ¼ teaspoon ( you may use ½ coriander powder instead) 
• Minced green chillies – 2-3 
• Gram flour – ½ cup
• Rice flour – 2 tablespoons
• Split cashew – 6-10 nuts
• Salt – to taste 

Method:

1. In a bowl, take onion slices and spinach and sprinkle over some salt. 
2. Add coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chillies. 
3. Now add garlic ginger paste, carom seeds, chilli powder and garam masala. 
4. Gently mix the ingredients. Do not crush the palak.
5. Keep aside the mixture for about 10 minutes. 
6. Now heat oil in a pan on medium heat. 
7. To the mixture, now add gram and rice flour. 
8. Mix to make a little light but moist dough. Add some water if the mixture is too dry. Make sure to sprinkle the water and not pour it directly.
9. The mixture shouldn’t be too moist. Adjust the ingredients accordingly. 
10. Add the cashew nuts. 
11. When the oil is ready, drop small portions of the batter into the oil. The flame should be on medium. 
12. Do not stir the fritters before about a minute. 
13. Then stir and fry the palak pakora until they turn brown and crisp. 
14. Remove from oil and keep on a plate lined with a paper towel.
15. Your palak pakoda is ready! 

3. Kanda Bhaji (Onion Pakora)

This basic Maharashtrian-style onion pakora recipe is so simple to make, that there is no way you can go wrong with it. These crispy delights will go very well with your evening tea. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

What you’ll need:

• Large onion (thinly sliced) – 1 
• Gram flour or chickpea flour – ½ cup
• Oil for batter – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – about 1 teaspoon
• Oil for frying

Method: 

1. In a bowl, add sliced onions, flour, salt and oil. 
2. Use your hands to mix the ingredients well. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. If it looks too thin or moist, add some more gram flour.
3. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. The oil needs to be hot for the bhajis to come out crispy.
4. Test the oil by dropping a drop of batter in it. If the batter rises up smoothly, the oil is ready.
5. Use a spoon or your hands to drop small portions of the batter into the oil. 
6. Keep the flame on medium.
7. Don’t forget to flip the bhajis to make sure they fry evenly.
8. Once the bhajis are golden brown and crispy, use a slotted spoon to take them out of the oil and place them on a plate lined with a kitchen towel. 
9. Serve crispy onion pakora with chutney or ketchup. 

To make kadhi pakora, dunk these onion fritters in freshly prepared Dahi kadhi. 

4. Kachche Kele Ke Pakorey (Raw Banana Pakoda)

If you like vegetable pakora then you must try this kaccha Kela pakora recipe. Raw bananas are quite versatile and can be used to make a number of savoury delicacies. 

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 55 minutes

What you’ll need:

• Large, semi-raw bananas – 6

For filling:

• Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Cumin powder – 2 teaspoons
• Chaat masala – 1 ½ teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Chopped green chillies – 5-6
• Ginger – 1 ½ teaspoon
• Lemon juice – 6 lemons
• Mango powder – 1 teaspoon 

For batter:

• Gram flour – 500 gram
• Rice flour – 200 grams
• Red chilli (crushed) – 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Peel the bananas. 
2. Extract the pulp to make the bananas hollow.
3. Mix the filling ingredients. 
4. Now fill the hollow  bananas with this stuffing.
5. Mix the batter ingredients. Add water to get a medium-thick consistency.
6. Heat oil in a pan.
7. Dip the stuffed banana pieces in the batter.
8. Drop the bananas into the oil to deep fry. You will know they are done when they turn golden.
9. Your banana pakodi are ready to eat. These pakoras taste the best with tamarind chutney. 

5. Buranshe/Gudhal Ke Pakode

This popular pakora recipe from Uttar Pradesh that will become your go-to snack for all those times you feel kuch achcha khana hai! If you are unable to find rhododendron flowers, you can use hibiscus flowers. The only (not so) cumbersome step is to forage and clean the flowers and then carefully separate its petals from the other parts. 

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

What you’ll need:

• Full inflorescences of hibiscus or rhododendron flowers – 3
• Peanut or mustard oil (for frying) – about 300 ml
• Gram flour – 1 cup
• Salt – about 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
• Rice flour – ¼ cup
• Carom seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Water – 1 cup
• Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Wash the flowers well under running water. Discord the stamens and sepals and reserve the petals. Drain the petals. 
2. Mix all the ingredients except the rice flour. Whisk the batter well. 
3. Now add the rice flour. Gently fold so that the batter forms a few tiny lumps. This will help make the pakoras crispy. 
4. Heat peanut/mustard oil to medium-hot. 
5. Dip the tubular petal in the batter and carefully drop it into the oil. 
6. Remember to keep turning the pakoras so that they cook evenly on all sides. 
7. Fry until the pakoras become golden-brown on the surface. 
8. Remove the pakoras from the oil and keep them on a plate lined with an absorbent paper towel. 
9. Your buranshe/ gudhal pakodi are ready to serve. 

6. Methi and Kishmish Pakoras

This hatke sweet and spicy pakora recipe is the right snack for any occasion. Be it a cosy evening with friends or family or a party, methi and kishmish pakoras are the perfect companions to your steaming cup of tea.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours

What you’ll need: 

• Mustard oil 
• Moong dal (soaked for at least 2-3 hours) – 1 bowl
• Chopped kishmish – 1 small bowl
• Kasuri methi – 1 small bowl
• Ginger (finely chopped) – 1 teaspoon
• Green chillies (finely chopped) – 1-2 
• Salt – to taste

Method: 

1. Grind soaked moong dal to form a coarse paste.
2. Keep the oil for heating in a deep frying pan.
3. Now add kishmish, kasuri methi, ginger, salt and green chillies to the moong dal paste. Mix well and in 1 direction. 
4. Now drop small amounts of the batter in the oil and deep fry till golden brown. 
5. Your methi, kishmish and moong dal bhajiya are ready to be served.

7. Chilli Aloo Pakora

This stuffed pakora recipe is just for you if you love spicy treats. These can be prepared within an hour and go very well with mint or coriander chutney. 

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

What you’ll need:

• Thick chillies (slit and deseeded) – 4
• Oil for frying

For the batter:

• Gram flour – 1 cup 
• Garlic paste – ½ teaspoon
• Ginger paste – ½ teaspoon
• Cold water 
• Salt – to taste

For the filling:

• Salt – to taste
• Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
• ½ teaspoon – ginger paste 
• Garlic paste – ½ teaspoon
• Sugar – ½ teaspoon
• Potato (mashed and boiled) – 1

Method:

1. Mix all the filling ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the batter ingredients. You can adjust the water accordingly to make sure the batter is medium-thick. 
3. Now fill the slitted chillies with the filling.
4. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. 
5. Dip the chillies in batter and deep fry. 
6. The pakoras will be done when the chillies turn golden brown and crispy. 
7. Chilli aloo pakora is ready to be served.

8. Ribbon Pakora

The best thing about ribbon pakoras is that you can store this savoury snack for more than 2 weeks. Here’s how to make crispy ribbon fritters. 

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

What you’ll need: 

• Rice flour – 1 bowl
• Gram flour – 1 bowl
• Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
• Hing – ⅛ teaspoon
• Butter – 1 teaspoon
• Cooking oil 
• Murukku maker

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix the two flours and add red chilli powder, salt, hing, butter, and garlic paste. Mix well.
2. Gradually add water to make a dough. The consistency should be a little thicker than dosa batter.
3. Now fill this dough in the murukku maker. Use the ribbon pakora attachment. 
4. Heat oil in a deep pan.
5. When the oil is done, press the murukku maker into the oil directly. 
6.  Fry the ribbon pakoras until golden brown. Make sure to turn the pakoras occasionally.
7. Your ribbon pakoda is ready to serve. You can keep it in an airtight jar and it will stay good for up to 15 days.

6 Effective Tips For making Crispy Pakodas 

Use these easy-to-follow tips to give your fritters that extra crunch! 

1. Use cold water while preparing the batter.
2. Use a wire rack to keep the fritters after you have taken them out of the oil. Transferring them directly to a paper towel or foil may make them soft or soggy. This tip works quite well for bread pakora.
3. Add some rice or maize flour to your regular besan while preparing the batter. 
4. Want cripier paneer pakora? Fry them twice! Fry the pakoras on medium heat. Then take them off the stove. Then fry on high heat till the fritters turn golden. 
5. For crispy veggie pakoras, make sure the vegetables are completely dry. If the vegetables have moisture, they may cause the fritters to absorb more oil and turn soggy. 
6. Maintain the temperature of the oil and make sure it is hot enough. Always test the oil by dropping some batter in it. 

When it comes to fritters, the possibilities are endless! Other pakora recipes you must try are chicken pakora, paneer pakora, kadhi pakora and corn pakora. If you are craving a more filling fried snack, go for a spicy bread pakora. Don’t hesitate to #BeALittleMore experimental with your fritter recipes. No matter how you choose to make them, this crispy snack never disappoints!

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