Pakora
This Indian starter builds potato, spinach and green chilli into a hearty meal you can have ready in about 60 minutes. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Shopping list (6)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Thinly slice the onion, cut the potato into matchsticks and roughly chop the spinach and green chilli, then place them all in a large bowl.
- Add the chickpea flour, turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, carom seeds and salt and toss so the vegetables are well coated in the dry flour.
- Pour in the water a little at a time, mixing until you have a thick batter that just clings to the vegetables without being runny.
- Heat the oil in a deep pan to about 175C, hot enough that a drop of batter rises and sizzles immediately.
- Drop in loose spoonfuls of the mixture in small batches and fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp and the potato inside is cooked through.
- Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and serve hot with mint chutney or tamarind sauce.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Large pot
What to serve with Pakora
- Aloo Gobi Vegan
- Butter Chicken Chicken
- Chana Masala Vegan
- Dal Tadka Vegetarian
Tips & common questions
How long does Pakora take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Pakora vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Pakora is an original Indian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Chicken pakora-MB21.jpg by Rajeeb Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.