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Chicken Pakora

Serves 4
60 mins
350 Kcal
The chicken pakora is a quintessential Indian snack dish consisting of marinated pieces of chicken deep-fried and covered in besan batter, and spiced gram flour. Chicken pakoras are very savoury with crispy outsides and tender insides, making them an excellent appetizer or street food in South Asia. For instance, chutneys like mint or tamarind usually accompany this recipe, which would give it that tanginess that would offset the richness of the pakoras. Preparation of chicken pakora: Chicken pieces should be boneless and marinated in a seasoning comprising cumin and coriander, garam masala and red chilli powder. It can be marinated by mixing ginger and garlic paste with yoghurt. Marination will let the flavour come into the chicken and aid in tenderizing the meat. Then, the chicken is covered with a batter prepared from gram flour mixed with spices such as rice flour or cornflour for increasing crispiness. Once coated with the batter, the chunks of chicken are deep-fried until golden and crispy. The result is flaky outer layers, light as air, that hold within them juicily spiced chunks of chicken. Gram flour provides a nutty flavour to these pakoras; moreover, the mix of spices in the mixture ensures that bold and aromatic notes accentuate almost every bite. The chicken pakora is overall quite widely enjoyed as a snack or even as an appetizer; it tastes quite delightful well with hot tea or is partly included within the entire meal. It's also simply just great with people around at parties as well because it's very convenient and quite comfortable to munch on various-sized and assorted bites. Whether served freshly out of the fryer or as a snack platter, chicken pakora brings together such a delicious combination of textures and flavours that have made it one of India's and the world's favourite dishes.

Ingredients required for Chicken Pakora

  1. 500 grams boneless chicken
  2. 1 cup besan
  3. 1 tsp ajwain
  4. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  5. Oil
  6. 1 tbsp lemon juice
  7. 1 tsp red chili powder
  8. 1 tsp coriander powder
  9. 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  10. 1/2 tsp garam masala
  11. 1 tsp salt

Cooking steps for Chicken Pakora

  1. 1
    Prepare the marinade for the chicken. In a mixing bowl, take 500 gms of boneless chicken pieces, add 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, and salt, to taste. Finally, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
  2. 2
    Mix the ingredients with your hands or a spatula in the bowl, making sure the spices will reach all parts of the chicken. Cover this bowl of yours with plastic wrap or a lid and allow it to marinate for at least half an hour. This would be the last time flavours could infuse finally.
  3. 3
    Now mix up a batter in another bowl using 150 gms of gram flour (besan), 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, and ajwain(carom seeds). Add salt to taste.
  4. 4
    Using a spoon, add water little by little to the dry ingredients and keep stirring continuously till when you drop the chicken pieces, they are covered well without too much droppage.
  5. 5
    Take a deep frying pan or kadai and pour enough oil so that it may drown the chicken pieces. Keep a low to medium flame and heat the oil till it becomes hot but not smoke.
  6. 6
    Once the oil is ready, take each piece of the chicken marinated and coat them one by one in the prepared batter so that they are evenly coated.
  7. 7
    Gently drop the coated pieces of chicken one by one into the hot oil. Try to do it in batches because overcrowding the pan will make the temperature of the oil come down and then the pakoras will become soggy.
  8. 8
    Fry the chicken pieces until golden and crispy, usually 5-7 minutes. You may need to flip them a few times so they don't burn evenly.
  9. 9
    When fried, you can use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken pakoras from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of excess oil.
  10. 10
    Repeat this process till all of the marinated chicken is fried.
  11. 11
    The oil is to be heated up to the correct temperature- about 350 F or 180 C-because a fresh batch of pakoras is to be added. It helps in getting a crunchy texture.
  12. 12
    Gently place the battered chicken pieces in the hot oil.
  13. 13
    One must fry in small batches so that the oil temperature remains correct, and thus it gets cooked uniformly. Pakoras should be crispy on the outside and soft at the inside.
  14. 14
    Just open one to test, whether they are well cooked or not.
  15. 15
    For a crunchy texture, chicken pakoras should be served soon after frying in a crispy state while they are hot.
  16. 16
    To enhance the flavour, serve with mint chutney or ketchup.
  17. 17
    Sliced onions and lemon wedges accompany this dish on the side.
  18. 18
    The best thing about these pakoras is that they are great for being served as an appetizer or snack to people gathered together. Chicken pakoras are such a joyous treat to be relished with friends and family.

Shop Ingredients

Red Chili Powder (1 Tsp)
600
1
300
1
Ajwain (1 Tsp)
50
1
18
1
45
1
55
1
83
1
80
1
92
1
76
1
63
1
70
1
Boneless Chicken (500 grams)
275
1
249
1
225
1
Lemon Juice (1 Tbsp)
29
1
Garam Masala (1/2 Tsp)
96
1
79
1
31
1
88
1
63
1
52
1
90
1
108
1
82
1
82
1
Ginger-garlic Paste (1 Tbsp)
38
1
38
1
49
1
42
1
50
1
99
1
Besan (1 cup)
75
1
78
1
117
1
117
1
109
1
84
1
130
1
109
1
72
1
129
1
Turmeric Powder (1/2 Tsp)
65
1
113
1
220
1
Salt (1 Tsp)
27
1
21
1
22
1
50
1
107
1
56
1
99
1
47
1
76
1
75
1
Coriander Powder (1 Tsp)
30
1
Oil
175
1
172
1
161
1
137
1
148
1
150
1
291
1
141
1
730
1
241
1

FAQs

How to make Chicken Pakora crispy?

The right thickness batter is required to coat the chicken just enough and turn it into crispy chicken pakoras. Around 350 F or 180 C may also be used for frying and will help form that crispy outer layer onto the chicken. Try not to overcrowd the frying pan since this might cause the oil temperature to drop, which eventually results in soggy pakoras. So, try frying in small batches for better results.

Can I bake Chicken Pakora instead of frying?

You can bake Chicken Pakora, too, if you like it a little healthier. 400 F (200 C) Preheat the oven. Place the coated chicken pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray or brush some cooking oil for crispiness. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, turning them over, till the chicken is done and the pakoras are golden brown.

How do I store leftover chicken pakora?

Leftover Chicken Pakoras can be kept for up to 2-3 days. Make them cool completely, then store the pakoras in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store long-term in the freezer: place the pakoras in a single layer on a baking sheet, and when frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. Reheat in the oven or air fryer until crispy to prevent them from becoming soggy from being microwaved.