If you’re looking for a quick and easy Indian snack that packs a good amount of flavor, then you need to try this delicious spinach pakora recipe!
These crispy, well-spiced fritters are made from fresh spinach leaves coated in a spiced chickpea flour batter, then deep-fried until golden-brown. Serve these delicious spinach pakora as an appetizer for dinner parties or a convenient afternoon snack.
I have fond memories of my mother making both pakoras and the West Indian variant, phoulourie, while we were growing up. My father always had a plentiful garden, and one year, he grew an abundance of swiss chard. Although mom would use matured spinach in her pakoras, this particular year, she chose to use up all the chard. They were delicious, especially when served with her West Indian achaar (pickle) made with sour apples.
Years later, my husband purchased a small deep fryer. He loved pakoras so much that he began making them for dinner parties and family gatherings. We would prepare the batter (which was spicy), and he would fry them to perfection. It seems like a lifetime ago. I plan to post a pholourie recipe soon, as it deserves to be honored in my personal food history. Cheers!
Ingredients
- 3 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 3 cups)
- Chopped red onion
- 2 green chilies
- Chopped cilantro
- Chickpea flour (besan)
- Cornstarch (sub with rice flour)
- Ginger-garlic paste
- Salt
- Garam masala
- Turmeric powder
- Red chili powder
- Carom seeds (sub with caraway seeds)
- Black pepper
- Water
- Vegetable oil
Make a Delicious Pakora Batter
- Clean: Rinse the spinach leaves and blot them dry with paper towels. They should have very minimal moisture on them.
- Chop: Stack the leaves, and finely chop them with a sharp knife. Chop the onion, seed, and chop the chilies, and the cilantro. Combine it with the garlic-ginger paste, salt, black pepper, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and carom seeds (or caraway).
- Moisture release: Let the veg mixture stand for 10 minutes to release moisture.
- Make the batter: Next, add the chickpea flour and cornstarch to the bowl, and stir through to form a thick batter. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the mixture if it is too dry.
How to Fry Spinach Pakora
- Heat Oil: Fill a large wok with about 3 inches of oil, and heat on high heat until the oil starts to shimmer. To test if it’s ready, drop in a small amount of the pakora batter. If it floats upward, the oil is good and hot.
- Fry them: Working in batches, add about 5-6 spoonsful of pakora batter to the wok. Let them cook for about 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Turn them with a metal slotted spoon halfway through cooking.
- Drain them: Remove and place them on a wire rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- Repeat the process with the next batch.
- Serve them with a sweet tamarind sauce, coriander-mint sauce, or a spice yogurt sauce.
More Recipes to Enjoy!
Delicious Spinach Pakora
Equipment
- 1 large wok or deep heavy bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 3 ounces fresh baby spinach about 3 cups
- 3/4 cup of finely chopped red onion
- 2 green chilies, seeded and chopped (use less or omit if preferred)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (sub with rice flour)
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds sub with caraway seeds
- 2 pinches of black pepper
- Water
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- Rinse the spinach leaves and blot them dry with paper towels. They should have very minimal moisture on them.
- Stack the leaves, and finely chop them with a sharp knife. Chop the onion, seed, and chop the chilies, and the cilantro. Combine it with the garlic-ginger paste, salt, black pepper, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and carom seeds (or caraway). Let it stand for 10 minutes to release moisture.
- Next, add the chickpea flour and cornstarch to the bowl, and stir through to form a thick batter. Add 1 tablespoon of water to the mixture if it is too dry.
- Fill a large wok with about 3 inches of oil, and heat on high heat until the oil starts to shimmer.
- To test if it’s ready, drop in a small amount of the pakora batter. If it floats upward, the oil is good and hot.
- Working in batches, add about 5-6 spoonsful of pakora batter to the wok. Let them cook for about 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Turn them with a metal slotted spoon halfway through cooking.
- Remove and place them on a wire rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- Repeat the process with the next batch.
- Serve them with a sweet tamarind sauce, coriander-mint sauce, or a spice yogurt sauce.
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