Vegetable pakoras with green chutney, a delicious Indian appetizer or side dish, made with easy to get ingredients and ready in just 30 minutes.
Indian food is amazing. I've eaten at Indian restaurants in several countries (Spain, United Kingdom, Germany and also in some places of South East Asia), but I want to visit India and enjoy its amazing cuisine because the food is so tasty and also because it's so easy to find plant-based dishes there.
Most of the times I go to an Indian restaurant, I order pakoras as an appetizer, but they can also be eaten as a snack or even as a side or entrée, you choose! They're usually made with vegetables or other ingredients, dipped in a batter made from chickpea flour and then deep-fried.
My recipe is pretty simple and made with ingredients you can get at any supermarket. Besides, I've used just a little bit of extra virgin olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the skillet) and they're also super flavorful.
Pakoras can be eaten just by themselves, but they taste better with some sauce like green chutney (or any other type of chutney), ketchup or any other sauce you have on hand.
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📖 Recipe
Vegetable Pakoras
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, julienned
- 1 green bell pepper, julienned
- 3 small potatoes, 14 oz or 400 g, peeled and grated
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne flakes, optional
- ¾ cup chickpea flour
- ½ cup water
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Instructions
- I used a box grater to grate the potatoes, but feel free to julienne them into thin strips if you want.
- Add the veggies, cilantro and spices to a large mixing bowl and stir.
- Then add the chickpea flour and water and mix until well combined. I prefer to use my hands, but it's up to you.
- Heat some oil in a skillet and drop in spoonfuls of the mixture. Cook over medium-high heat until golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes on each side).
- Serve immediately with some green chutney or your favorite sauce.
- Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
Notes
- Feel free to use any veggies, herbs and spices you want.
- If you don't like spicy food, omit the cayenne flakes or add less. Garam masala is also spicy, so keep that in mind.
- I haven't made this recipe with no oil, but I think it should work if you bake the pakoras instead of frying them.
Jane says
These were really delicious. I fried half of the recipe in coconut oil last night, and this morning I baked the leftovers on a greased pan. They were great both ways (and my boyfriend couldn't tell the difference between the two!) for anyone wanting reduce oil by baking. 4/5 stars because the size of onion/pepper/potato wasn't specified. I think mine were much larger than the writer's, because I had to more than double the chickpea flour and water for them to hold together. A weight in ounces or grams would be helpful, even just to "ballpark" it. 🙂
Iosune Robles says
Hi Jane! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂 I'm so sorry about that! Next time, feel free to ask us about the weight in ounces/grams or search on google for the conversion!
Sree says
It's delicious. I've tried it. Thanks
Iosune Robles says
Hi! So glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Kristen says
Although mine didn't turn out as pretty, they tasted great. We added a couple to your butternut squash soup the next day- yummm.
Iosune says
Hi Kristen! Sounds great 🙂 So glad you enjoyed them!
Cindy says
I like this! can not wait to try soon.
Iosune says
Hi Cindy! Thanks a lot 🙂 Please let us know how it goes!
Julie Shannon says
I have just made vegetable pakora's and l'm actually eating them as l type!
OMG! They are superb! Thank you so much - for all that you offer.
With much appreciation
Julie
Iosune says
Hi Julie! You're so welcome 🙂 I'm so glad you liked them!
Heather says
This looks so good! Is there a substitution for the chickpea flour? I have to avoid chickpeas because of the interaction with a medication.
Iosune says
Hi Heather! I haven't made this recipe using another flour, but I think it could work with any other flour...