When it’s raining or cold outside, palak pakoda, or crispy spinach fritters, are the ideal afternoon snack to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. Making this pakoda at home is quite simple and just needs a few simple ingredients, such as palak (spinach) and gram flour (besan). Your pakoda batter is ready when you combine chopped spinach, gram flour, onion, red chilli powder, and salt with a few tablespoons of water. Pakodas are ready to eat in only 10 minutes. Read on to know how to make a delectable yet healthy Palak Pakoda recipe.
| Recipe Name | Palak Pakoda |
| Place of Origin | North India |
| Total Time Taken | 20 minutes |
| Preparation Time | 10 minutes |
Palak Pakoda Ingredients
- 2½ cups, chopped Spinach
- 1 large, finely chopped Onion
- 1/2 cup Gram Flour
- 2 tbsp Rice Flour, optional
- Oil, for deep frying
- 2-3 tablespoons Water, as needed
- 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin-Coriander Powder
- Salt, to taste
Method
Step 1: To remove any dirt, wash the spinach leaves (palak) under running water. Move them to a colander and squeeze off extra water. Transfer them to a big bowl after finely chopping them.
Step 2: Add the finely diced onion.
Step 3: Add salt, 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder, and 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder.
Step 4: Add rice flour and gram flour (besan).
Step 5: Mix thoroughly with a spoon. As you can see, the moisture in the palak causes the mixture to become wet.
Step 6: As required, gradually add 1-2 teaspoons of water; whisk well after each addition.
Step 7: Don’t add more water; only as much as is necessary to bind the ingredients for crispy pakodas.
Step 8: To deep fry the pakodas, heat oil in a deep frying pan over a medium flame. Use a spoon or your hand to drop a small amount of batter into the hot oil when it is medium hot to make pakoda. Depending on the size of the pan, drop 5-7 parts of batter at a time to form pakodas.
Step 9: They should be deep-fried till crisp and lightly golden.
Step 10: Using a slotted spoon, remove them and drain any extra oil. Place them on a dish lined with a paper napkin. The Palak Paokdas are ready.
Tips to Enhance the Taste
- To prevent pakodas from separating, do not turn them immediately after adding them to the heated oil.
- They absorb too much oil and get soggy when fried on low heat.
- To make it more interesting, while mixing the batter, add 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) and 1/2 teaspoon chopped ginger.
- For the pakoda mixture, use just fresh palak leaves rather than the slightly bitter stem.
- Do not fry pakoda on low heat as it will absorb the oil and become soggy. Instead, fry them on medium heat.
Serving Ideas
As an afternoon snack, serve them hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney and a cup of Indian Masala Chai.
Nutritional Content in Palak Pakoda
| Calories | 177 kcal |
| Fats | 10g |
| Carbs | 16g |
| Protein | 6g |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why isn’t my Pakoda crispy?
Always fry Pakodas on a medium temperature to ensure that the vegetables are properly cooked and come out crispier. Make sure the oil is hot enough; otherwise, the pakodas will absorb more oil, causing additional fat to form. However, if it is too hot, pakodas may not adequately cook inside while turning dark brown on the exterior.
Q. How are pakoras kept fresh?
We typically place our hot pakoras on a paper towel, piece of foil, or piece of fabric. The fritters become soft and mushy as a result. Your fried food should always be kept on a wire rack to cool. This keeps the fritters crisp and fresh for a long time by preventing the steam from settling on them.
Q. Why are my pakoras dry?
Pakoras, like anything fried, are best eaten as soon as possible! They can dry out if kept for a long time. However, you can reheat or warm them in the oven! (375°F for 5-10 minutes, or until crisp)
Q. How long can you keep pakoras in the fridge?
Pakoras are gluten-free and made with protein-rich chickpea flour. Pakoras are great as an accompaniment to an Indian supper, as well as a lunch or snack. Make a big batch. You can keep it in the fridge for about 2-3 days.
Q. At what temperature do you fry the pakoras?
Preheat the oil to 180 degrees Celsius. Squeeze a handful of the mixture into a loose small ball to ensure the vegetables stick together when dipped into the oil. Drop the ball into the oil carefully with a spoon. Fry for 4 minutes, or until brown and crispy, then taste to check flavour and consistency.
Q. Can baking powder be used in pakora?
Baking powder provides the pakora batter a nice airy texture and makes the cooked pakoras airy and delicious.
