Onion bhaji pakora is a crispy Indian onion fritter made with sliced onions, besan, and simple spices. This recipe gives you crunchy pakoras with a thick, clingy batter and clear frying cues, so they turn out crisp outside and soft inside. Serve them hot with chutney for an easy snack or appetizer.
A Variety of Vegan Fritters: There exists a large range of vegan fritters that are savored around the world. Vegetable pakoras, onion bhajis, and onion pakoras are some of the most sought-after vegan fritters.
Fuel up with high-protein vegan meals! Try our savory Nutrela soya curry, popcorn tofu, and chickpea lentil curry. For a colorful stir-fry, enjoy tofu jalfrezi, or snack on nut-free protein balls.
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How to make Onion pakoras (video recipe)
Ingredients
Following are the Onion pakoda ingredients
- chickpea flour (besan) / gram flour
- rice flour
- cup water
- onion, thinly sliced
- salt
- turmeric powder
- red chili powder
- fresh herb like coriander/mint
- chaat masala - optional , a tangy spice mix that you can add as per your liking.
- Vegetable Oil for frying
refer to recipe card for details.
how to make onion pakoras ?
Follow the below instructions for onion pakora recipe
- Take sliced onions in a bowl
- Add salt, chili powder, turmeric, green chilies, and herbs to the sliced onions. Mix well and let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions soften and release some moisture.
- Add besan, rice flour, and cumin seeds if using. Mix well so the flour coats the onions evenly.
- In a small bowl, mix baking soda with 2 to 3 tablespoons water.
- Add the soda water to the onion mixture little by little and mix gently. Add only enough water to make a thick batter that coats the onions well without turning runny.
- Heat oil in a kadai or deep pan over medium heat. Test the oil with a small bit of batter; it should rise steadily without browning too fast. Use your fingers or 2 forks to drop small portions into the oil.
- Fry in batches, turning as needed, until the pakoras are crisp and deep golden brown on all sides.
- Fry the bhajis until they are golden brown on both sides.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towel or a wire rack to drain excess oil. Serve hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney, or ketchup.
Related links
Crispy Onion Bhaji Pakora Recipe
Equipment
- wok/kadai
Ingredients
- 3 large large onion 3 large onions yield around 2 cups sliced onions
- 2 teaspoon Salt or as per taste
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon dried pomegranate seeds optional
- 1 tablespoon mint leaves chopped, optional
- 1-2 green chillies chopped and as per taste
- 1 cup besan/chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoon rice flour for extra crispy pakoda
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup Water as needed to make a thick batter
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Place the sliced onions in a large bowl.
- Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric, green chilies, mint or coriander, and dried pomegranate seeds if using. Mix well and let the onions rest for 10 to 15 minutes, until they soften and release some moisture.
- Add besan, rice flour, and cumin seeds if using. Mix well so the flour coats the onions evenly.
- In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 2 to 3 tablespoons water.
- Add this to the onion mixture little by little. Mix gently to make a thick batter that clings to the onions. Add only as much water as needed.
- Heat oil in a kadai or deep pan over medium heat. Test with a small bit of batter; it should rise steadily without browning too quickly.
- Drop small portions of the onion mixture into the hot oil using your fingers or 2 forks. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Fry in batches, turning as needed, until the pakoras are crisp and deep golden brown on all sides.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel or a wire rack.
- Serve hot with chutney or sauce of your choice.
Video
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe can be altered to fit your individual preferences. Some people like to add finely chopped green chilies or grated ginger to the batter for an extra kick of flavor. You can also substitute the onion with other vegetables such as spinach, potatoes, or cauliflower.
Onion pakoda without besan - You can replace besan with other flours such as red lentil flour or garbanzo flour. Red lentil flour can make the pakoras even crispier. You can also add chopped curry leaves, grated ginger, or ½ teaspoon carom seeds for extra flavor. For variation, try the same batter with spinach, potatoes, or cauliflower.
Curry leaves - You can also add chopped curry leaves to the batter to fry onion pakoda for a south indian twist to the recipe.
Carom seeds - You can add ½ teaspoon carom seeds to the onion pakoras recipe
Air fryer - you can also use an airfryer to make this recipe of onion pakora .
FAQ
Few things you need to keep in mind for the onion pakoras recipe include
1. Avoid adding lot of flour.
2. Do not cook at high temperature i.e the oil should be at medium heat.
Both are same, its known as onion pakora in the northern part of India while Onion bhaji in southern India.
Try making onion pakoda with besan i.e. chickpea flour, try using red lentil flour.Avoid making the batter more watery for crispy onion bhaji
These onion bhaji pakoras are crisp, flavorful, and easy to make with simple pantry ingredients. With the right onion rest time, thick batter, and proper oil temperature, you can make pakoras that turn out crunchy every time. Serve them hot with chutney for a comforting snack or appetizer.
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