Aloo pakoras come together quickly and easily. All you need is a handful of basic Indian pantry ingredients to make these spiced crispy coated potatoes that are flavorful and so satisfying.
What is Aloo Pakora?
Think of this snack as an Indian french fry. You make it by coating thinly sliced potatoes in a spiced batter and then deep-frying until golden and crisp. The result? A flavorful crispy crust on the outside and perfectly cooked potato inside. It’s wonderful with ketchup or Green Chutney.
Aloo pakora is also known as potato pakora or potato bhajji. There are many different types of pakoras out there: onion pakoras, bread pakoras, chilli pakoras – you name it. I’d say aloo pakora is one of the most popular. Loved by adults and kids too. It was my favorite Indian snack growing up, and now, I get to make it for my little boys who love eating aloo pakora too. Here’s my 2-year-old (27 months) happily standing next to a plate of pakoras. 😍
It’s well-known that pakoras are a rainy day staple; you’ll find many Indian families making crispy, hot pakoras when it’s cold and soggy outside. It’s basically fact – pakoras and Masala Chai taste better when it rains. ☔️
“I am very pleased to report that by following your recipe to a T, I managed to cook up some mouth watering Aloo Bajjis which were gobbled up by the family in no time!”
Ramanamurthy N.
Aloo Pakora Ingredients:
These fritters are made with ingredients commonly found in Indian pantries. Once you get all of these ingredients, you can make pakoras anytime. They’re also vegan and naturally gluten-free, so most people can eat them. That makes this the perfect snack to serve any last-minute/surprise guests. Here’s what’s in them:
- Besan: besan is an Indian chickpea flour made from black chickpeas (not garbanzo). This type of flour is also known as gram flour.
- Rice Flour: I use Bob’s Red Mill rice flour. The addition of rice flour to the batter makes the pakora more crispy.
- Green Chilli: you can use an Indian green chilli or serrano pepper – adjust to taste.
- Spices: salt, ajwain seeds, cayenne, black pepper
- Water
- Yellow Potatoes: yellow potatoes are the way to go, they’re creamy and soft and melt-in-your mouth. I prefer the taste of pakoras made with yellow potatoes vs. Russet potatoes. I did a little taste test for friends and all choose the batch made with yellow potatoes.
- Oil: I like using avocado oil because it’s a neutal in flavor and works well with high heat.
How to Make Aloo Pakora:
We’re creating a batter out of besan (Indian chickpea flour), rice flour, and spices, then dipping thinly sliced potatoes into the batter and frying them up! (You can see the recipe card for more detailed step-by-step instructions).
I like to use a digital thermometer to get the frying temperature just right, but you can always test the oil by adding a bit of batter to it – if the batter sizzles and rises to the top, it’s ready. Add the pakoras to the pot! You can add several at a time, just be sure not to crowd them.
Once golden, take the pakoras out and place them on a paper napkin-lined plate to absorb any oil. Here’s what they look like – delicious, right?!
Suggested Items
Tips for Making Pakoras:
- You want to make sure that the batter is not too thick and not too thin. If it’s too thin, it won’t coat the potatoes well. If you follow the ratios I’ve listed below, you’ll have the perfect batter for these pakoras.
- After you slice the potatoes, place them on a paper towel and blot them dry to get rid of any extra moisture.
- Resist the urge to wipe the pakora batter on the edge of the bowl as you remove the potato slice – you want the batter to really coat both sides before frying.
- Make sure the oil is hot before you begin frying the potatoes. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the potatoes will end up absorbing a lot of oil.
- The temperature of the oil will fluctuate and is best when within the 360 to 380 range.
- Depending on the size of your pot, you may want to use more/less oil.
What to do with Leftover Pakora Batter?
With this recipe, you shouldn’t have much batter left over – if you do, next time, try coating the potatoes a bit more. That said, if you have a bit left you can always toss in some sliced onions or a chilli and fry that. Or just use more potato slices.
How to Store Pakoras:
Unfortunately, there’s no storing pakoras. Eat them fresh while they’re nice and crispy! After a while, the crispy texture will change to soggy, and so while the flavor will remain, the texture will not. They’ll still taste good, but there’s nothing like a freshly made pakora.
What to Serve with Pakoras:
Pakoras are the perfect tea-time snack. Serve with chai and chutney! Here are some ideas:
- Masala Chai
- Instant Pot Chai
- Ketchup or Maggi Hot and Sweet Sauce
- Green Chutney
- Amchur Chutney
- Tamarind Chutney
- Tamarind Date Chutney
Ingredients
Pakora batter
- ¾ cup besan approx 85 grams
- ¼ cup rice flour approx 42 grams
- 1 Indian green chilli minced
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ajwain seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup water 6 ounces
- 1 pound medium to large yellow potatoes 2 or 3, depending on size, peeled
- 2 cups neutral oil I like avocado oil
Instructions
- Combine all the pakora batter ingredients and mix until smooth. Set aside for now while you prepare the potatoes – the batter will thicken a bit as it sits.
- Peel the potatoes and slice them into thin slices (approx. ⅛ inch – doesn’t have to be exact). Spread them out onto a paper towel and blot them to dry.
- Heat oil in a deep, wide bottomed pot such as a dutch oven, over medium high to high heat. Once the oil reaches 360°F, or when a small drop of the mixture sizzles and floats to the top, the oil is ready.
- Dip the sliced potato into the batter, making sure to coat both sides, then gently place it into the hot oil. (The temperature of the oil will fluctuate and is best when within the 360 to 380 range). You can fry several pakoras at a time, just be sure not to crowd the pot.
- Let the pakoras fry in the oil until they turn light brown/golden in color. You can flip the pakoras if needed.
- Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon, and place on a paper towel to absorb any remaining oil.
Notes
- Depending on the size of the pot, you may need to add more oil.
- Resist the urge to wipe the pakora batter on the edge of the bowl as you remove the potato slice – you want the batter to really coat both sides before frying.
Sonal says
I love this pakoda in rainy day.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Absolutely agree!
Shelly Cain says
Made this as an appetizer with your green sauce. Such a big hit!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Shelly, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
RAMANAMURTHY (MURTHY) NEMALI says
Hi Ashley,
I am a novice cook with just a few months of cooking experience under my belt. Thanks to your Instant Pot recipes, I have gained a lot of knowledge, not to mention confidence, cooking many of your dishes! In fact, you could say, I found the confidence to handle the Instant pot only after following your recipes in My Heart Beets.
So, when you published this recipe for Aloo Pakoras (or Bajjis , as we call them) one of my all time favorite foods, I was overjoyed! In fact, in my younger days I used to have as a regular meal (dinner mostly), heaped plates of bajjis!! While those days are long gone, I definitely wanted to try my hand at making them for a change, instead of just gorging on them!!
I am very pleased to report that by following your recipe to a T, I managed to cook up some mouth watering Aloo Bajjis which were gobbled up by the family in no time! In fact the only change I made was add slightly more salt (an 1/8th of a spoon to be precise), otherwise, everything was just as you noted!
Thank you very, very much and keep those recipes coming! You make even a novice like me feel he is truly the “KING OF THE KITCHEN”! And for that, I am eternally grateful!!
Murthy
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Murthy, thank you so much for the kind words! I read this comment aloud to my mom – so nice of you to say 🙂 I’m glad you and your family liked this so much! I hope you’ll continue to let me know what you think of the recipes you try!
Jay says
I would like your expertise to be utilized in recipe for pakoras which are BAKED and not DEEP FRIED.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Jay, thanks for the suggestion! I’m always experimenting so if I come up with something good, I’ll certainly share 🙂
Farah B says
Looks delicious Ashley! Love love your recipes and blog. A quick question though…can I use an air fryer to make these?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Farah, I’ve tried making pakoras in the air-fryer but personally haven’t liked them very much so I’ve shared a more traditional recipe here. I’ll keep working on baked/air-fried pakoras behind the scenes to see if I can come up with something 🙂
Farah B says
Thank you for your honesty on the pakoras!! I’ll try them the traditional then. ❤😊
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Can’t wait to hear what you think, Farah 🙂