Pakora Recipe | Crispy Zucchini Fritters

A crispy, spicy deep fried fritter made of zucchini and indian spices.  An easy zucchini recipe using Indian spices to make amazing zucchini fritters. Make some of these easy fritters today!

The answer to any bumper veggie crop for the home gardener is PAKORA, yup, I didn’t know what it was either. A few years ago I had a bumper crop of spinach and started searching recipes on Google.  Pakora sounded very interesting and my husband likes anything fried so there you have it.  This zucchini pakora recipe is easy and uber delicious!

I brought it in to work and even though it was reheated a day later, my co-workers devoured it.  This year, it’s zucchini.

I was careful not to plant too much but I still need a way to sneak it into Mr. Craftiness’ dinner without him realizing he’s eating squash.  He loves fried food and spicy food (not too spicy).  This trick has worked every time so far.  He pretends not to notice I’m feeding him cooked veggies and I pretend they aren’t veggies.

How to Make Pakora

This dish is super easy.  Just prep and mix the ingredients, however, be careful to add water a little at a time.  You just want the dough to come together and be able to form a ball.  If you get it too wet, It won’t form a ball.

Pakoras are usually made with besan flour which is a gluten free chickpea flour.  It is also called gram flour.  I couldn’t find besan or gram so I used Krusteaz Gluten Free All Purpose Flour.

It is a mix of sorghum flour, brown rice flour, millet flour and quinoa flour. This is a great substitute for besan or probably any other soft flour you need without gluten.  The texture of the pakora was great!

Other veggies to try using pakora batter are onions, potatoes, kale, spinach, carrots, cauliflower and chilis. You can also make pakora from paneer cheese, fish or chicken.

Other names for pakora: pakoda, pakodi, ponako, dhaltjies (S. Africa), bajji.

They can be served as a side, snack, appetizer or in a curry.  Oh!  How about a pakora burrito?  Maybe with some raita sauce.  My pakora brain is spinning.

Pro Tips

Add your dry ingredients first and mix well. Then add your flour, a little at a time. You want just enough water for your ingredients to come together.

Bring your oil up to 360F. I use a candy thermometer for this. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use a chopstick. Just insert the wooden chopstick into the oil, if air bubbles form rapidly, the oil is probably ready. You could also put in one drop of water, If the oil pops immediately, it’s ready. Making sure your oil is ready will make your pakora crispy without being greasy.

Drain your fritters on paper towels, to absorb any extra oil.

Sauces to Serve With Pakora

You can serve any sauce that you favor, even ranch or creamy salsa. Some traditional sauces though include a robust chutney, a creamy yogurt sauce called raita or ztatziki or a minty green sauce.

If you have a favorite condiment, feel free to use that too! Better yet, leave a comment below so we can try it. Sharing is caring:)

For another Zucchini recipe, check out Baked Curry Zucchini Fries.

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Pakora Recipe | Crispy Zucchini Fritters

Yield: 2 dozen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Total Time: 29 minutes

An Indian zucchini fritter recipe that is spicy but not too spicy. Zucchini mixed with flour and Indian spices then deep fried. Serve plain or with your favorite chutneys.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup of besan or Krusteaz Gluten Free AP flour
• 1 Tbs chile powder, I used Indian chile powder
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cups zucchini, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded, stem removed, diced
• 1 Tbs garam masala
• 1 Tbs turmeric
• pinch of asafetida, if you don't have any skip it
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp salt and some more to sprinkle on crispy fritters
• 1/2 cup of water
• vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients in a large bowl except the water, mix well.
2. Add water slowly until a batter is roughly formed and the veggies will form a ball in your hand. Use less or more water if needed.
3. Form 1 1/2 inch balls and set aside on baking tray.
4. Heat 2-3 inches of oil in large pot to 350-375F or until a drop of water pops quickly.
5. Fry pakoras until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes. Cook in medium batches. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt.
6. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157 Total Fat: 4g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 305mg Carbohydrates: 25g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 4g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 6g

Do you LOVE Indian food? Me too. If you adore this zucchini fritter recipe, you may enjoy these other recipes inspired by Indian cooking.

Baked Curry zucchini Fries

Lamb Curry Burrito

Indian Butter Chicken