Party ideas, Snacks

Onion Pakoda | Vengaya Pakoda | Onion fritters

Onion Pakodas (or deep fried Onion fritters) and Monsoon evenings are a match made in heaven. I had longg resisted making any deep fried snacks at home, till last Sunday evening both S and kiddo opined to eat it. Boy! Did I race into the kitchen to make these, along with a mixed bhajia platter that disappeared before I could click pics.. I had to make these again, just to take pics (and of course to devour them all over again) ! You can bet we didnt look at the bathroom scale for days after this snacking 🙂

These pakoras bring back distinct memories of an old lady who dished out these fried delights near my school, and these pakodas’ aroma attacked our nostrils everytime we passed by her stall (or was it just a shack) every evening on our way back from school. Thanks to my grandmom, eating out was considered a sin (she came about accepting us eating out at restaurants with a pinch of salt till the very end). Although paati (grandmom) and mom made this at home, nothing could beat the garlicky pungency of the pakodas made by that old lady near school and today’s Onion Pakoras made at home somehow oozed of that fragrance as they came out of the frying pan. Sending this to Day 2 of BM # 18 under “Warm foods to beat the rain” theme. It couldnt have been warmer or spicier or crispier than this 🙂 Check out the fellow marathonershere

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Prep time – 15 mins

Frying time – 10 mins

Serves – depends on how much you get to munch 🙂 🙂

Difficulty level – Easy

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Ingredients:

  • Besan / gram flour – 1 cup
  • Onions – 2 large (sliced thin)
  • Rice flour – ¼ cup
  • Salt – to taste
  • Red Chilli powder – ½ TBSP
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
  • Hing / Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
  • Dry Coriander seeds – 1 TBSP
  • Saunf / Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
  • Oil – to deep fry
  • Ajwain / Carrom seeds – ½ tsp (crushed slightly)
  • Water – about 1 -2 tsp

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Notes:

1) Some people like to add soda to this to make it crisper. I didnt add the same

2) To pep this much more, you can add 1 or 2 deseeded and finely minced green chillies.

3) Preferably make the batter sans any water. The moisture from the salted onions is more than enough to make a batter. Ensure the onions are finely chopped lengthwise to give it a crisper look and taste.

4) Addition of coriander and fennel seeds are totally optional, but we loved them for that ethereal flavour. Addition of ginger-garlic paste is also preferred by some, but I avoided adding that to preserve the flavour of gram flour and carrom seeds.

Method:

1) Slice onions finely into hair like thin strips. In a large bowl, sieve besan, salt, rice flour twice over. Add turmeric powder, hing, red chilli powder to this and mix well.

2) Dry roast the coriander seeds and fennel seeds separately. Cool and coarsely powder it with a pestle and mortar.

3) Add the chopped onions to the besan mixture and mix well. Let it rest for 5-10 mins

Now add the coriander-fennel powder, ajwain seeds and mix the onion-besan mixture. The salt from the onions should be enough to get a thickish batter. Use 1 tsp of water if its absolutely necessary.

4) Meanwhile heat oil for frying. When it is hot, turn the heat to low and take a small ladleful of hot oil to the besan-onion mixture. With a ladle / broad spoon, mix this well (Warning ! Do not use hands to mix, the oil will scald your fingers). You should get a thick batter that you spoon out or use your wet fingers

5) Turn on the oil pan to medium-high heat now. With a spoon or with slightly wet fingers, pinch out small portions of the onion-besan dough into the oil  and fry them in batches on medium-high flame till they turn golden brown and crisp

( Note: you are allowed to munch on all this batch and the next even while making these pakodas – try resisting that thoughtJ)

6) Repeat for remaining dough.

7) Serve warm as it is or with coconut chutney (who has time to wait for the chutney to be made when the pakodas are sooo inviting !!) 

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28 Comments

  1. Sangeetha Nambi
  2. chef and her kitchen

    Love to munch these onion pakora wid evening tea in this rainy season..

  3. Vandana Dilip

    yummy!!!!feel like grabbing one of those 🙂

  4. रवि

    चित्रों को देखकर तो मुंह में पानी आ गया… 🙂

  5. this is so yummy yuummy bhajiyas

  6. virunthu unna vaanga

    looks very crispy…
    VIRUNTHU UNNA VAANGA

  7. Looks so crispy and perfect for a tea-time snack 🙂
    Glad to follow your lovely space 🙂
    ~Today's Recipe~Karuvadu Kulambu / Dry Fish Gravy
    You Too Can Cook Indian Food Recipes

  8. vaishali sabnani

    wish it wud rain..ah it is such a treat to enjoy these in monsoon..the typical kanda bhajiya..

  9. i know that match kal a match made to perfection i ll say even though a lil high cal and greasy lol.. hmm an all time classic which granny used to whip up in a min!! thanks for rekindling the memories kal

  10. Spice up the Curry

    very crispy and yummy

  11. FewMinute Wonders

    Who can miss out on these goodies. I agree rain and pakodas go hand in hand.

  12. Chef Mireille

    don't like onions this much, but will def. try wioth other veggie

  13. The Pumpkin Farm

    Mirielle…you have to try this with onions…this is amazingly tasty…have come out really well Kalyani

  14. All time favorite Kalyani, between can you update the links for Kid's delight..thanks

  15. My all time favourite….Looks very crispy!!!!

  16. runnergirlinthekitchen.blogspot.com

    An all time favourite in the monsoon with tea .. sigh

  17. You made me miss the monsoons all the more.There's no better place to be than in India right now when these inviting bhajias would make any place heaven..Lovely clicks i must say 🙂

  18. Priya Suresh

    Wat an addictive and super crispy pakodas, feel like munching some.

  19. Priya Sreeram

    indeed a match made in heaven – yum

  20. All time fav at home 🙂 Mouth watering pictures!!

  21. Mmmmm! reminds me have not made these in a long long time. Thanks.

  22. all time fav. snack to me … lovely presentation ……

  23. Finger licking…
    saadepunjab.com

  24. Pranati Nath

    Hey, you have just been presented with the *drum roll* Sunshine Blogger Award!!
    For award details pls visit – http://pran-oriya-recipies.blogspot.com/2012/08/partayyy-time-friends-another-award.html
    enjoy!!

  25. Mouth watering pakoda….

  26. Your recipe is looks awsme, you give the easiest way to prepare this recipe, from your recipe tips many people gets

    advantage. Regards,
    Onion Pakoda

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