Onion Pakora

Onion Pakora are crispy Indian fritters made with sliced onions and a spiced gram flour batter. They're crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, and they're very addictive. You might know them as onion bhajis from the menu at Indian restaurants. My homemade version tastes better than takeout, and it's ready in about 30 minutes.

You only need a few pantry ingredients, and they're naturally vegan and gluten free. I like them best on a cold, rainy day with a cup of tea. On curry night, I serve them as an appetizer with Onion Raita or mint chutney. Leftovers freeze well, and you can crisp them up again in the air fryer.

Jump to:

• What Is Onion Pakora?
• Why This Recipe Works?
• What Is Gram Flour?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make Onion Pakora?
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Onion Pakora

What Is Onion Pakora?

Pakora is the name for vegetables fried in a spiced gram flour batter, and onion is the classic one. You'll find them at street stalls all over India.

At home, they're a favorite tea time snack with a cup of chai. In the north, people usually eat them with a green chutney made with mint or cilantro.

Why This Recipe Works?

• You only need onions, gram flour and a few spices from the cupboard.

• Everyone can eat them, since they're naturally vegan, gluten free and dairy free.

• It takes about 30 minutes to make them, including the slicing and frying.

• I much prefer them to supermarket onion bhajis, and you can make them as spicy as you like.

• Serve them as a snack with tea, as an appetizer on curry night, or as a side dish with dal and rice.

• Onion pakoras are easy to make for a party, since you can fry them ahead and keep them warm in a low oven.

What Is Gram Flour?

Gram flour, also known as besan or chickpea flour, is made from ground chickpeas. It has a slightly nutty taste, and it's naturally gluten free.

In India, it's the flour people use for pakoras and lots of other fried snacks. You can buy it at Indian grocery stores or online, and some supermarkets sell it as chickpea flour.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Onions - Red onions are the traditional choice, but I prefer pink, yellow or white onions, as they taste milder.

• Gram (besan/chickpea) flour - Different brands soak up different amounts of water, so you might need a little more or less water than the recipe says.

• Spices - I use salt, fennel seeds and ground turmeric. If you like, add ground cumin, garam masala, red chili powder, curry leaves or ajwain (carom seeds).

• Fresh cilantro - I add a handful of chopped cilantro to the batter. If you don't like cilantro, use chopped mint or leave it out.

• Baking soda - I add a pinch of baking soda to the batter so the onion pakoras come out lighter and crispier. Baking powder works as well.

• Oil - Use a neutral oil for frying, like vegetable, canola or peanut oil.

How to Make Onion Pakora?

Thinly Slice the Onions

The most important thing to get right is to slice the onions finely. If they're too thick, they'll stay raw and won't crisp up by the time the batter is cooked.

You can use a sharp knife, a mandolin slicer, or a food processor to slice the onions.

Prepare the Batter

In a large bowl, mix the gram flour, baking soda, turmeric, fennel seeds and salt. Add cold water a little at a time, until the batter drops off the spoon.

It should be about as thick as heavy cream.

Add the chopped cilantro, chili and sliced onions, and mix well with a spoon until the batter covers the onions.

Fry the Pakoras

Fill a deep pan or a wok with oil to a depth of about 2 inches (5 to 6 cm), and heat it to 180° C (356° F).

If you don't have a thermometer, drop in a little of the batter. It should sizzle and float to the top when the oil is hot enough.

Drop small spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil, and shape them into small patties. Don't crowd the pan, or the pakoras will end up greasy.

Fry them for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Lift them out onto a cooling rack set over a baking pan, and serve them warm.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Slice the onions as thinly as you can. Thick slices stay raw in the middle by the time the outside is cooked.

• Mix the sliced onions with the salt first and leave them for 10 minutes. They release some of their water, so you'll need less water in the batter.

• For extra crunch, add a spoonful of rice flour or cornstarch to the gram flour.

• The batter should drop off the spoon and be about as thick as heavy cream. If it's too thick, add a little water. If it's too thin, add a little more gram flour.

• Keep the oil between 177° C and 185° C (350° F and 365° F). If it's too hot, the pakoras burn before the middle cooks. If it's not hot enough, they soak up oil and go soggy.

• A cooking thermometer is the easiest way to check the oil. Without one, drop a little batter into the pan. It should sizzle and float to the top when the oil is ready.

• Fry a few at a time and don't crowd the pan. Putting too many in at once cools the oil down, and the pakoras turn out greasy.

• I drain them on a wire rack instead of paper towels, so they don't go soft underneath.

• Put the first batches on a tray in a low oven, about 120° C (250° F), to keep them warm.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve onion pakoras as an appetizer before a curry like Chicken Handi, Creamy Chicken Korma or Butternut Squash Curry with Chickpeas.

• They're good on the side with Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani or Spicy Tandoori Chicken.

• For a vegetarian dinner, serve them with Dal Palak (Spinach Dal) and plain rice.

• Add an Indian bread on the side, like Keema Naan, Peshwari Naan or Guyanese Oil Roti.

• For dipping, I use raita, mint chutney or mango chutney. Tamarind chutney and ketchup are good options.

• For a lighter meal, serve them with Indian Chickpea Salad (Chana Salad).

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

Let the onion pakoras cool completely, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. They're good cold the next day in a lunch box or picnic basket.

To freeze them, spread the cooled pakoras on a lined tray and freeze them for a couple of hours until firm. Then move them to a freezer bag or an airtight container, and they'll keep for up to five months.

Reheat them in the air fryer for 4 to 5 minutes. In the oven, give them 7 to 8 minutes at 180° C (356° F). If they're frozen, thaw them in the fridge overnight first. You can use the microwave, but they won't be crispy.

If you're making them for a party, fry them a few hours ahead and reheat them in the oven just before serving.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

If you like these, here are a few more crispy snacks to try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making these crispy Onion Bhajis as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂