Chicken Pakora is an easy and delicious appetizer or snack that’s perfect for tea time or especially for Iftar in Ramadan.
Okay, if you’re a Pakistani, you know how much we all love our pakoras. The usual suspects in the pakora world are made with vegetables such as potatoes, onions, eggplant etc. Also try out these Mixed Vegetable Pakoras and Aloo Pakoras.
But today, I’ve got a special recipe for you…Chicken Pakoras! Seriously, so, so good, you won’t be able to stop snacking on them, until they’re all finished.
The best part is that these chicken pakoras are super easy to make too…you just need to make a spiced gram flour (besan) & corn flour batter and pop in chicken pieces and mix. That’s it. And then you just have to deep fry them, until you’ve got beautiful golden nuggets of deliciousness. Yum, yum!
How to Make It (Step by Step)
Start by making the batter. This is easy peasy:
In a mixing bowl, mix together the besan and corn flour. Mix in the spices, and then gradually add warm water, until you get a thick and smooth batter. Make sure to add the water, so that the batter is lump free.
Then add the chicken pieces, and if you don’t want to fry the pakoras right away, you can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 hours.
Heat oil in a wok, and deep fry the chicken pakoras on medium high heat until golden brown and cooked through. This will take 3-4 minutes.
Drain on kitchen paper towel, and serve with your favourite chutney! Try these pakoras with imli ki chutney or coriander & mint chutney. Yum!
Tips & Tricks
- The consistency of the batter needs to be thick enough to coat, but not super thick so that it makes the pakoras clunky. I like to use a little bit of corn flour to add the crispy factor, but you can just use besan or gram flour. It’ll still be delicious.
- Cut the chicken pieces into about 1 inch cubes so that they cook quickly. Bigger pieces will take longer to cook through.
- Make sure the oil temperature is correct before adding the chicken pakoras. The oil should medium hot. Check by dropping a little bit of batter into the oil, it should immediately sizzle and float up to the surface of the oil. Make sure the oil is not too hot, and neither too cold.
- You can make ahead the pakoras. I made the batter, and added the chicken pieces to it, and gave it a thorough mix. Then I transferred it to an airtight container, and placed in the fridge for about 5 hours, till I was ready to fry them.
- Instead of using a spoon to drop the chicken pieces into the wok, use your hands to gently slide in the chicken. This ensure the batter does not spread too much. Also, don’t move the chicken pieces until a minute after adding them to the hot oil. Then gently using a spatula, you can turn them around so that they brown evenly.
- Fry the chicken pakoras in batches. In my medium sized wok, I added a batch of 7-8 nuggets at a time. This ensures the chicken pakoras cook evenly.
I do hope you try these delicious chicken pakoras, they really are so yummy.
Enjoy!
Some More Delicious Snacks to Try
Chicken Pakora Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup besan gram flour
- 2 tablespoons corn flour
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1/2 teaspoon zeera cumin seeds roasted & crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon dhania coriander seeds roasted & crushed
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander roughly chopped
- Water as needed
- 450 grams boneless chicken cut into 1 inch cubes
- Cooking oil for frying
Instructions
To Make the Chicken Pakora Batter
- In a mixing bowl, add the besan, corn flour, spices, coriander and mix well.
- Gradually add water, until a thick batter has formed.
- Add the chicken pieces and mix well.
- Let rest for 5 minutes or so, before frying. Alternately, you can store in the fridge in an airtight container for 5-6 hours to fry.
To Fry
- In a wok, heat oil to medium high heat.
- Add a little batter to the oil, if it sizzles and floats up immediately, the oil is at the correct temperature.
- Add chicken pieces into the oil, about 6-7 pieces, at a time. Fry for a few minutes about 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
- Transfer to a kitchen paper lined plate, to drain the excess oil.
- Serve immediately with your favourite sauce. Yum!
Excellent recipie - crispy outside and sift in the middle. Can make it as hot you like by adding or reducing red chillies
Thank you!! 🙂