Deep Fried Chickpea Dough Curry Snacks (Pakoda)
Serves 2 Time 20 minutes Difficulty 3/5 Ingredients 15 Steps 6
Pakoda is a savoury South Indian fried snack made from gram flour, spices and onions. This simple recipe is for Pakoda as made in Tamil Nadu, India. A different version called "pakora" is famous in the other parts of India. The difference is that for making pakora, the batter/mix can be a bit more liquidy like for making pancakes, and different vegetables like spinach or potatoes may be used.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 g) besan or gram flour
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp rice flour (for crunch)
- 2 tsp green gram flour (optional, for added crunch)
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 8–10 curry leaves
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
- 1 medium-sized onion, chopped finely
- ½ cup peanuts, preferably roasted
- 1 tsp oil
- Oil to fry
Steps
- Combine all dry ingredients except salt, peanuts and onions. Mix well.
- Add onions, peanuts, 1 tsp oil and salt. Mix. Set aside about 10 min.
- Add water a little at a time to make a scone-like dough that forms chunks but breaks apart under slight pressure. Too much water makes pakoda not crunchy.
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed vessel.
- Shape dough into chunks. Deep-fry in medium-hot oil until golden brown and crispy.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes from the original
- Store at room temperature for about 3–4 days. Avoid refrigerating to maintain the crunchy texture.
- A tradition during the monsoon season is to serve piping hot tea after pakodas.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Deep Fried Chickpea Dough Curry Snacks (Pakoda)” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2025-06-12, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.