How to Prepare Onion Pakodas/Onion Pakoras

Onion pakodas or onion pakoras as they also known are a great teatime treat which have often been consumed during the monsoon season. In the UK they are eaten anytime. Serve with a lager and tomato ketchup as a side. can be quite messy but where’s the fun then if your fingers aren’t totally covered in delicious fried and crispy onion? These are almost like bhajis only pakodas are much rougher in looks.

The garam masala is easy to make but you can buy some high quality forms from the grocers. 

Ingredients:

• 2 medium red onions – chop and slice finely into shreds but not minced.
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder
• pinch of garam masala
• 1 garlic clove – chopped finely.
• ½ teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 finely chopped green chilli.
• handful of coriander/cilantro leaves
• 2 teaspoon chopped curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• pinch of hing/asafoetida
• 2 tablespoon rice flour
• 100g besan flour (chickpea flour)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (sunflower oil) of the pakoras and enough oil for frying with. 
• 2 tablespoons water
• basil or coriander leaves for garnish

Preparation of Onion Pakodas:

1. Put the onion shreds, chilli powder, garam masala, minced garlic and ginger, chilli, coriander/cilantro, curry leaves, salt, hing (asafoetida) into a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. The onions should take on a pale orange colour from the powdered chilli.
2. Add the rice flour and besan flour and mix well. The onion pieces need to be well covered in the flour.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and thoroughly mix in.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of water and also thoroughly mix in. It should now be a wet mixture.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer,  kadai or wok. About 2 or 3 ladles of oil should do although a deep fryer takes more. The oil should be hot enough for frying. 
6. Add clumps of the onion mixture where it should sizzle and fry in the pan. Take care as this oil will be hot and spitting is a problem here. Turn the onion pieces as they fry with an open slotted ladle. They should eventually become nice and crispy and brown. 
7. Remove the onion shreds from the oil with a lade and allow oil to drip off and place on paper kitchen towel. It’s best to remove the whole lot with a sieve where feasible and drip dry.