Crispy Spinach Pakoras
Crispy Spinach Pakoras
Ingredients
For Batter
- ½ cup gram flour (basen)
- 1 tablespoon corn starch (arrow root powder)
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- About 3/4 cup water
Also need
- About 30 fresh spinach leaves
- Oil to fry
Instructions
Method
- Mix all the dry ingredients together: besan, corn starch, black pepper, cumin seeds, asafetida, and salt. Corn starch adds to the crispness.
- Add the water slowly to make a smooth batter (batter should be thin consistency).
- Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat.
- The frying pan should have at least 1 ½ inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put one drop of batter in oil. The batter should come up but not change color right away.
- Dip the spinach leaf into the batter one at a time, making sure it is covered by the batter completely; wipe it from side of the batter bowl making sure batter is evenly spread over spinach. Then, slowly drop in the slices into the frying pan.
- Fry the pakoras in small batches. The pakoras will take about 2 to 3 minutes to cook.
- Turn them occasionally. Fry the pakoras until both sides are golden-brown.
- The crispy, delicious pakoras are now ready to serve.
- They can be stored for several days in air tight container.
Notes
- Spinach pakoras can be served as chips with your choice of dipping sauce.
- Spinach crisp can also be served as papdi chaat.
Crispy Spinach Pakoras: A Delectable Indian Snack
Crispy spinach pakoras are a quintessential Indian snack that tantalize taste buds with their crunchy texture and flavorful profile. Spinach Pakora, a delightful blend of appetizers and snacks, is a gluten-free and vegan treat perfect for winter recipes, offering a crunchy and flavorful indulgence. These bite-sized delights, also known as crispy spinach pakoras, are a favorite among food enthusiasts for their simplicity and robust taste. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the art of crafting these irresistible treats, exploring the crispy spinach pakoras recipe, step by step.
Step 1: Gathering Ingredients
To embark on this culinary adventure, gather the necessary ingredients. Fresh spinach leaves, besan (gram flour), rice flour, ajwain (carom seeds), turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin seeds, asafetida (hing), and salt are the key players in this recipe. These ingredients blend harmoniously to create the signature flavor and texture of crispy spinach pakoras.
Step 2: Preparing the Batter
Begin by washing the spinach leaves thoroughly and patting them dry. Chop the spinach finely, ensuring uniformity in size. In a mixing bowl, combine besan, rice flour, ajwain, turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and salt. Gradually add water to the dry mixture, whisking continuously until a smooth batter forms. The consistency should be thick enough to coat the spinach leaves evenly.
Step 3: Coating the Spinach
Dip each spinach leaf into the prepared batter, ensuring it is well-coated on both sides. Gently shake off any excess batter to achieve a light coating. Repeat this process for the remaining spinach leaves, arranging them on a plate for frying.
Step 4: Frying to Perfection
Heat oil in a deep-frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil reaches the desired temperature, carefully slide the coated spinach leaves into the hot oil, ensuring they are not overcrowded. Fry the spinach pakoras until they turn golden brown and crisp, flipping them occasionally for even cooking. Once done, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Step 5: Serving and Enjoying
Serve the hot and crispy spinach pakoras with a side of mint chutney or tamarind sauce for an added burst of flavor. These delectable treats are perfect for snacking on rainy days or as appetizers for gatherings. Enjoy the crunchy exterior giving way to the tender spinach inside with every bite.
Variations:
Paneer Spinach Pakoras: Add crumbled paneer (Indian cottage cheese) to the batter for a creamy twist.
Cheese Spinach Pakoras: Stuff the spinach leaves with cheese before coating them with batter for a gooey surprise.
Benefits:
Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that promote overall health. Incorporating spinach into pakoras not only enhances the flavor but also adds a dose of goodness to this indulgent snack. Additionally, the use of besan (gram flour) provides a gluten-free alternative, making it suitable for individuals with dietary restrictions.
FAQs:
Q: Can I make crispy spinach pakoras ahead of time?
A: While pakoras are best enjoyed fresh and hot, you can prepare the batter in advance and fry them just before serving to retain their crispiness.
Q: Can I bake spinach pakoras instead of frying them?
A: Although frying yields the crispiest results, you can try baking spinach pakoras in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for approximately 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Q: Can I freeze leftover pakoras?
A: While pakoras are best consumed fresh, you can freeze any leftovers in an airtight container. Reheat them in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through.
Explore More Delectable Recipes
For more mouthwatering recipes and culinary inspiration, explore the following links from Manjula’s Kitchen:
Crispy Spinach Pakoras, Vegetable Biryani, Paneer Tikka Masala, Vegetable Pakoras Recipe, Baingan Bharta (Roasted Eggplant) Recipe & Matar (Green Peas) Paneer Recipe
Dive into the world of authentic Indian cuisine and elevate your cooking skills with these delightful recipes.
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My wife not like the smell on kitchen frying pakoras. Can I grill them outside on bbq grill?
I didn’t have spinach so I sliced a potato really thin and followed the same recipe. It came out great!
Next time I’ll try to serve it as a chaat with yogurt and tamarind+cilantro chutneys.
Alona, sounds good
Nice recipe n thank u so much
Wow…..i love cooking….palak pakoras are luking tempting….ask hubby to bring fresh palak….i m going to make them right now….thanks….
hmm its a really yummy n crunchy..
Wow I love it…..
Once I got it through my head that the batter really does need to be thin, they came out great! Next time I will cut down just a little on the hing and maybe try cayenne pepper instead of black pepper. Even my mother (who isn’t accustomed to the spices used in Indian cooking) liked them!
manjula ji,
i myself love cooking but not as expert as u are ut i am trying …. whenever i get free time i always love trying new dishes. few months back i got to see one of your dishes .since then i have been cooking more wonderful dishes for my boys… n they love them ….i want to thank u very much for the wonderful work n brilliant receipes … thank u very much …
I tried it just now and it is so yummy, kids loved it. Thank u for the recipe.
Can you bake them instead of frying? Would the rest of the recipe remain the same if we did?
I am an American who loves Indian food and enjoy your website very much. I have not prepared many of your dishes yet, but hope to very soon. I have a question about asafetida (hing). I have not seen it even in the Asian grocers here, but was wondering if it is necessary to the flavor of the dish. What is its benefit to the recipe? Thank you!
Naomi, hing is only found at Indian grocery stores. It gives a hint of flavor similar to onion and garlic, but if you don’t have any hing the dish will still taste good. Don’t worry about it.
Hi you will find it also called asifetida.
Thank you I needed to find a health snack,. God Bless
Thank You very much for the recipe, Its great to eat food that mom makes, but now i am able to do it myself in college. Great thanks, i guess i don’t miss mums cooking any more!!
Krishna,
You will always miss your mums cooking.
Hello Aunty,
Tat was really lip smacking dish…My Husband loved it so much and was surprised by the recipe…Thank u so much….
They were gone in minutes. That’s how good they are.
is there any substitute for corn starch?? i want to make today.
You can use cornflour
Yummy! We Filipinos have a similar dish in “Kangkong” leaves, and we call it Crispy kangkong. The choice of using Spinach for this dish is healthy and practical, since Spinach is easier to locate in markets.
umm … deep frying something healthy is counter productive though
can you use pea meal flour instead of besan?
Hi Manjula Aunty,
Your spinach pakora recipe is soooo good! my boyfriend loved them! crunchy and crispy, they were delightfully easy to make… thank you!
p.s. u’re super cute and adorable…
I wish there was an alternative to deep frying.
If you have an oven or toaster oven you could probably get the same effect by broiling. Put it on a pan lightly-coated with oil and broil for a few minutes, turn over, then broil a few minutes more.
aunty, why have you put corn starch? does it help in any way?
Dear Manjula: I just discovered your site while helping a friend find a vegetarian Indian recipe for a good-bye party for an Indian friend. I have watched a couple of recipes myself and wanted to thank you for being so entertaining and informative. They look delicious and can’t wait to try a few, especially the zucchini rice and the spinach pakoras. Thank you very much! Cheers, Michael B
Pls don’t use the word “HEALTHY” for “DEEP FRIED” dishes. It will lose all the nutrition once it fried in oil.
The unhealthiness of fried foods depends on a variety of things. An oil or fat loaded with hydrogenated oils or partially-hydrogenated oils isn’t healthy. Cooking with Safflower Oil, Canola Oil, etc is a MUCH healthier option as these aren’t hydrogenated or loaded with fat. The fat they do contain are primarily mono- and poly- unsaturated fats which are actually beneficial to the body (in moderation of course). And when cooking with healthier oils we can help boost the quality of health by allowing oil to run off foods and into the pan before putting the foods on our plate. Fried food in this manner does have health value.
hello aunty
i just wanted to ask..how do you get rid of tumeric stains on the stove top?? yours looks os nice and clean!
thanks
I just wanted to know whether or not the spinach have been washed and then blotted to dry?
Yvonne, yes you must gently wash and blot the spinach dry before dipping it into the batter.
Hello Manjula Aunty,
These pakoras are so yummy looking.
I often chop the spinach leaves while making these.But the whole spinach leaf version looks very good too.
Looks good. I’ve not seen spinach pakoras before.