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    Home » Indian recipes » Appetizers/Starters

    Air fryer onion pakora | Crispy Onion bhajiya recipe

    5th June 2024 by bhavana bhatia 2 Comments

    216 shares
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    Pakoras or chickpea flour fritters are a thing of joy. They are synonymous with monsoon season. Be it bread pakoras, mirchi bajji, moong dal bhajiye ,onion bhaji pakora or sindhi onion pakodas. There are other variations like palak pakora, gobi pakora, aloo pakora and even cabbage pakoras.

    Vegan gluten free snack, deep-fried pakoras are a crowd favorite. However, the only vice of this street food is the high oil content in it. It is deep fried which is hardly healthy in any way. There is no issue in eating it once a while, but the thing with onion pakora is, ye dil maange more!

    onion pakora air fryer
    air fry onion bhaji with red lentil flour.
    Jump to:
    • How to make onion pakora in air fryer? ( video recipe)
    • Key Ingredients
    • Related links
    • How to make onion pakora in air fryer ? Step by step instructions
    • Air fryer pakora recipe | air fryer onion pakoda recipe

    Can you air fry pakora?

    Everyone loves pakoras which are more than a popular Indian street food now. You will find fans of onion fritters everywhere. However, these crunchy pakoras can be made with lots of veg, spices and chickpea flour.To get that perfect crispy pakora in the air fryer, you gotta get the batter right. The batter should be thick, not watery. In a bowl, combine chickpea or red lentil flour, onion, spices, and a pinch of baking soda to make the batter.

    We tried to make pakode in air-fryer many times until we cracked this perfect recipe. Earlier the batter would stick to the grill. Sometimes it felt a bit raw. At times it was a little soft. What is a pakora without the crunch, right? We finally had an idea, to use muffin liners instead of putting the batter on the basket grill on parchment paper. Scroll over the instructions below to make the perfect crispy onion pakoda and you will never be disappointed.

    How to make onion pakora in air fryer? ( video recipe)

    Equipment

    • Air fryer
    • oil spray
    • perforated paper liners / muffin liners. You can cut a parchment paper as per your air fryer basket and make holes in that to allow the air to pass through or use the liners used for bamboo steamers.
    • large bowl

    Key Ingredients

    • Onions - Use red or white onions, chop them as you like.
    • Red lentil flour or chickpea flour (Besan flour) - I prefer red lentil flour for air fryer recipes
    • Green chilli - Optional , only if you like it hot
    • Spices ( Turmeric powder ,Red chili powder) -
    • Mint/coriander leaves
    • Baking soda - a pinch of baking soda mixed with water . This helps to make the pakora soft
    • Salt as per taste
    • Water to make thick batter
    • Oil for air frying . Choose your oil wisely, refer to our detailed post on best oil for indian cooking
    • few drops of lemon juice (optional) - This helps to make the pakora soft as it reacts with baking soda

    Refer to recipe card for details.

    Related links

    • Air fryer mix pakora | Mix bhajiya
    • Bread Pakora - Air fry / fry
    • Paneer Pakoda- cottage cheese fritters
    • Onion bhajiya | Sindhi onion bhaji | Sanna pakora
    • Moong dal ke pakode
    • 30+ Indian recipes in air fryer

    How to make onion pakora in air fryer ? Step by step instructions

    It is possible to make onion pakoda in air fryer.Follow the below steps for the same. These are red onion bhaji as I have used red onion, you may use white onions as well

    1. Slice the onion and add salt to it. Leave it aside for 5 minutes in a large mixing bowl .
    onion pakora air fryer step 1

    2. Add the lentil flour to the mix. I have used red lentil flour here, you may use chickpea flour / besan.

    onion pakora air fryer step 2

    3. Add remaining ingredients (except baking soda) with 2 tbsp. water, start mixing the ingredients

    onion pakora air fryer step 3

    4. Add the chopped coriander/mint to the batter

    onion pakora air fryer step 4

    5. Mix baking soda with water and add to the mix at the last. Add few drops of lemon juice now.

    onion pakora air fryer step 5

    6. Line the air fryer basket with a baking sheet with holes/steamer sheet.

    Scoop spoonfulls of mixture to fill the basket.Spray oil,brush oil before they start to cook.

    onion pakora air fryer step 6

    7. In a preheated air fryer(5 minutes at 170 C | 340 F ) ,air fry the pakoras on 170 C | 340 F for 8-10 mins

    onion pakora air fryer step 7

    8. Place them in the air fryer basket without the baking sheet,spray oil and cook further at 170 C | 340 F for 5 mins ,then turn over and cook again for 3-4 minutes or until cooked from all sides.Total cook of 18-19 minutes.

    onion pakora air fryer step 8
    air fry pakora

    9. Serve air fryer onion pakodas hot with tamarind chutney & green chutney.

    easy onion bhaji recipe oven
    Onion Pakora in Air fryer
    onion pakora air fryer
    Print Recipe
    4.54 from 15 votes

    Air fryer pakora recipe | air fryer onion pakoda recipe

    Airfryer pakora recipe is an easy one to make. Perfect low oil snack for tea time. Learn how to make pakora in air fryer in easy ways.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time35 minutes mins
    Course: Breakfast, Snacks
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: baked onion bhaji, onion bhaji air fryer, pakora recipe air fryer
    Servings: 4
    Author: bhavana bhatia

    Equipment

    • Air fryer
    • parchment paper or muffin cups.
    • oil spray

    Ingredients

    • 2½ cup onions sliced
    • 1 teaspoon Salt as per taste
    • 1 cup lentil flour red lentil flour / gram flour / chickpea flour (besan)
    • 1 tablespoon sooji / semolina or use rice flour (if you are using besan)
    • 1-2 green chillies as per taste
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder optional
    • ½ teaspoon red chili powder or as per taste
    • 1 tbsp. coriander leaves or mint leaves
    • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼-1/2 cup water Water If you leave onions aside for long time with salt, then you need less water.
    • 2 tbsp. Oil for oil spray
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

    Instructions

    For air fryer onion bhajis

    • Slice the onions,add the salt,allow to sit for 5 minutes.
    • Add the lentil flour to the mix.Add remaining ingredients with ¼ cup water,start mixing the ingredients
    • Add the chopped coriander to the batter.Mix baking soda with 2-3 tablespoon water and add to the mix at the last . Add few drops of lemon juice now.
    • Line the air fryer basket with a baking sheet with holes/steamer sheet.Scoop spoonfulls of mixture to fill the basket.Spray oil,brush oil or spray oil before they start to cook.
    • In a preheated air fryer(5 minutes at 170 C | 340 F) ,air fry the pakoras on 170 C | 340 F for 8-10 mins
    • Place them in the air fryer basket without the baking sheet,spray oil and cook further at 170 C | 340 F for 5 mins ,then turn over and cook again for 3-4 minutes or until cooked from all sides.Total cook of 18-19 minutes.

    Variation - Semi cooked in water

    • Mix onion and all ingredients(including baking soda), do not add any water as water will be released by onions
    • Heat a pot of water, once boiling, add big spoonful of pakora batter,let it cook for 2-3 minutes,slowly take them out of the bowl
    • Allow these the semi cooked onion pakora to cook down on a tissue
    • Once they are at room temperature, brush them oil, preheat airfryer at 170C/340F,
    • Serve hot once they are golden brown from all sides.

    Video

    Notes

    You may adjust the green chillies and salt as per your taste.
    You can also add anardana(dried pomegranate) seeds to the batter
    perforated paper liners - You can cut a parchment paper as per your air fryer basket and make holes in that to allow the air to pass through or use the liners used for bamboo steamers.

    Variations for air fryer pakora

    You can always make the traditional deep fried pakora , refer to the recipe of onion bhaji. However I prefer to make this air fried healthy version of the pakoras more as this uses very less oil. I can then eat them multiple times too with my cup of masala chai  🙂

    Storage suggestions

    Air fried onion pakoda stays crisp until next day when stored in an air tight container.

    FAQs

    Can you reheat pakora in air fryer?

    Yes, I like heating pakora in air fryer. Just air fry them for 2-3 mins at 160 deg C after preheating the air fryer.

    Can you make onion bhaji in oven ?

    Baked onion bhaji is similar to onion pakoda in air fryer. It gives much better results than the oven.

    Can you cook frozen pakora in airfryer ?

    Yes you can preheat the airfryer and cook the frozen onion bhaji at 180C/355F for 7-8 minutes to get crispy onion bhaji.

    how many calories in an onion bhaji?

    It all depends if you deep fry them or air fry them. air fried onion bhajis have almost 60 % lesser onion bhaji calories compared to the deep fried.

    Conclusion: You want to eat pakode in every season. Whether its raining or cold, hot pakoras and tea is welcome even on a sunny afternoon. Enjoy this healthy onion bhaji without worrying about these extra calories! As they are air fried, these are are slimming onion bhajis (when compared with deep fried ones) . Yes they are as crispy as the fried ones if you were wondering. Morever these are plant based , hence this is a vegan onion bhajis recipe.Win-win for everyone!

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    216 shares

    Comments

    1. Silvie Gowans says

      November 20, 2022 at 6:00 pm

      5 stars
      Brilliant.

      Reply
      • bhavana bhatia says

        November 20, 2022 at 6:53 pm

        Thank you so much Silvie.
        Cheers!
        Bhavana

        Reply
    4.54 from 15 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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    Hi,I am Bhavana & this is my wonderland of recipes.I have been in IT for 15+ years have always loved writing.My husband Gaurav & I,love to cook, click & host people

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