Who can resist these mouthwatering, golden-brown fritters made from chickpeas, spinach, onion and ginger? Popular in the streets of India and beyond, pakoras are made with a variety of vegetables that get tossed in chickpea flour and then fried to crispy perfection.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 24 fritters |
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpea flour (available at Middle Eastern, Indian or health-food stores), or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- Mango chutney, for serving
Instructions
- Whisk the chickpea flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cumin seeds, cayenne and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add 2/3 cup water and whisk until smooth. Add the onion, chickpeas, spinach and ginger to the batter and mix to combine.
- Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees. Working in batches, drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the oil (do not crowd the pan). Cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Cool slightly, then gently press each fritter into a small disk, about 1/3 inch thick.
- Return the fritters to the hot oil and fry until crisp and golden brown, about 1 more minute. Season with salt and serve with chutney.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 24 servings |
| Calories | 43 |
| Total Fat | 1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 67 mg |
Reviews
It’s a lovely basic recipe–the bigger pieces of chickpea get really lovely and crispy. Don’t stint on the ginger! Also, there’s no need to remove the fritters, squish them, and return them to the oil–just squish them fairly flat when you flip them the first time.
It was a hit during Super Bowl! Served it with a few chutney flavors like plum, dates and mango chutney; they all tasted great.
can’t we grill it instead of re-frying?
This is a great recipe, but it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to fry them twice as per the directions. I served it with a peach chutney with great results. Yes, Peach Chutney – I bought it in a specialty store.
I made these for my South Asian family and they were impressed! Like other reviewers, I used regular flour and pressed the fritters after turning once in the pan with tasty results. Great to serve as a meatless side dish or party appetizer with chutney or yogurt sauces. This is a keeper!
These TASTE GREAT and are so easy and reheat easily in toaster oven. Also added extra cummin seeds and cayenne and leave some of the chick peas whole. Simply fry once, and heat press down for 2nd side. Great with a corriander and yogurt sauce too.
These were awesome. very easy to make. i tried the mix unfried first and was afraid that it would turn out terrible, but was so happy to find that these fritters were really really good. i added a little more cumin than called for, because i just like a lot of flavor.
These were easy and delicious. Didn’t have chickpea flour so just used all-purpose. I skipped the chutney and served them with a cucumber raita.