Palak Pakora Recipe Spinach Fritters Whiskaffair

on Jan 10, 2024, Updated Oct 08, 2024 I love making a variety of pakoras at home. Here are some of my favorites – Aloo Pakora, Paneer Pakora, Chicken Pakora, and Punjabi Bread Pakora. When I moved to Bangalore 19 years ago, it used to rain every evening. Every evening was the perfect weather to indulge in crispy hot pakoras and a kadak cup of masala chai. It was a great incentive to learn to make a variety of pakoras and I actually did that. Mohit and I would sit in our little balcony that overlooked coconut groves and enjoy the rain and the pakoras. I made aloo and onion pakora frequently, but occasionally, I also made these amazing Palak Pakora. Now, making pakora is quite an easy process. It also requires some very basic ingredients, but getting the right texture is not that straightforward. It requires a perfect ratio of different ingredients, and the temperature of the oil also plays a big part in how they turn out. In this post, I have tried to write all the small details you must keep in mind to make the perfect palak pakoda.

About Palak Pakora

Palak Pakora (Palak Pakoda, Spinach Fritters) is a deep-fried Indian snack, where whole spinach leaves are coated with a spiced gram flour batter and then fried until golden and crispy. It is a perfect snack to munch on a rainy day or during a chilly winter afternoon. Serve them with a steaming cup of masala chai and green chutney. I try to use leaves that are similar in size as they look good, but any size will do. For The Batter – You will need besan (chickpea flour, gram flour), rice flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger paste, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), green chilies, baking soda, lime juice, and salt to make the pakora batter. Rice flour is optional, but it gives the pakoras a crispy texture. You can also add some carom seeds (ajwain) to the palak pakora batter. It will not only give it a nice taste but also help in digestion. Oil – Use any neutral flavored cooking oil to deep fry the pakoras. Chaat Masala Powder – Sprinkle some Chaat Masala Powder on top to give the crisp pakoras a tangy taste. Then add the following ingredients into a bowl. Mix well using your clean fingers or a wire whisk.

¾ cup chickpea flour 2 tablespoon rice flour ½ teaspoon red chili powder ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon ginger paste 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chili 1 small pinch baking soda 1 tablespoon lime juice ½ teaspoon salt

Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium. Coat a spinach leaf with the batter on both sides and drop it in the hot oil. Drop 5-6 pakoras in the pan at a time. Flip the pakora using the tongs once golden brown from the bottom side. Fry until they are browned and crispy from the other side as well. Sprinkle chaat masala powder as soon as the pakoras are out of oil. Fry all the pakoras in the same manner. Heat the oil well before adding the next set. Do not overcrowd the pan while frying the pakora. Serve hot with yogurt mint dip or coriander mint chutney. Correct measurement of ingredients is key in this recipe. I use standard cup and spoon measurements to measure my ingredients. The consistency of the batter is also very important to get perfectly crispy pakora. If the batter is too thick, the pakora will not turn out crispy; if it is too thin, it will not stick to the spinach leaves. Sprinkle chaat masala as soon as the palak pakora are out of the oil. It will stick to them immediately. Add just a small pinch of baking soda. If the quantity is higher, the pakora will turn out oily.