Aloo Pakora (Potato Bajji) is a very popular Indian snack where thinly sliced potatoes are coated with a spiced chickpea flour batter and deep-fried until crispy. This 20 minutes snack is best enjoyed with green chutney and masala chai on the side (vegan, gluten-free)
Once you try this aloo pakora, try some of my other pakora recipes that can be enjoyed on a cozy rainy day – Onion Pakoda, Chawal Ke Pakode, Paneer Pakora, Punjabi Bread Pakora, Moong Dal Pakoda, Corn Pakoda, and Chicken Pakora.
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About Aloo Pakora
Aloo Pakora is a very popular Indian snack where thinly sliced potatoes are coated with a lightly spiced chickpea flour batter and deep-fried until golden and crispy. These are called Aloo Bajji or Potato Bajii in South India.
These vegan and gluten-free potato fritters come together in just 20 minutes using a few simple ingredients.
Be it a rainy day, cold winter day, or any special occasion, these aloo pakora makes for a popular snack. Serve them with a tangy and spicy green chutney or sweet tamarind chutney and do not forget the masala chai to go along.
The best aloo pakora is made by deep-frying in oil but if you are looking for a healthy version, then you can bake or air-fry these too.
This aloo pakora recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. Just make sure to fry the pakoras in batches.
Ingredients
Potatoes – Starchy potatoes like Idaho or russet potatoes work best in this recipe. Avoid the ones with a gummy texture.
Slice the potatoes into even slices (approx ⅛ inch thick), so that they cook evenly while deep frying. You can use a mandoline slicer to slice them.
Do not slice the potatoes too thin or too thick. If they are too thin, they will crisp up while frying instead of getting soft and if they are too thick, they will be raw.
If you are slicing them ahead of time, soak the slices in a bowl of cold water to avoid them from turning black from oxidation.
For the Batter – To make the spiced batter for the potato pakora recipe, you will need a few simple ingredients like chickpea flour (besan, gram flour), rice flour, cornstarch, salt, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, baking soda, and chaat masala.
You can swap red chili powder with cayenne pepper or paprika powder.
Rice flour and cornstarch make these pakoras super crispy. Do not skip them.
You can add a little ajwain (carom seeds) to the batter as it adds a unique flavor and also aids digestion.
You can also add chopped onions, green chilies, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), curry leaves, and mint leaves to the batter.
Some people also add garam masala to their batter but I don’t as I feel it overpowers the other flavors. But feel free to add some if you like it.
Oil – Use any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoking point to deep fry the potato bhajji. Vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil are some of the options.
Some people in Indian fry their pakora in mustard oil which gives them a very unique taste. You can try it too.
Chaat Masala – Finally, sprinkle the pakoras with chaat masala as soon as they are out of the oil.
How To Make Aloo Pakora
Prepare The Potatoes
Wash 8 oz (250 g) of potatoes and peel them using a vegetable peeler. Slice them in thin slices (⅛ inch) and soak in a bowl filled with water. If kept without water, the potatoes will turn black from oxidation.
Make The Pakora Batter
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together
- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 2 tablespoon rice flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 very small pinch of baking soda.
Note – The quantity of turmeric powder and baking soda is very important. If you add more turmeric with baking soda, the pakoda will turn reddish in color and will not look very appetizing.
Add water (½-3/4 cup) a little at a time and make a slightly flowing but thick smooth batter. The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin. It should be just thick enough to coat the slices and stick to them.
Let it rest for 10 minutes.
Note – The quantity of water will depend on the quality of chickpea flour. If the flour is finely ground, it will require less water and if it is coarse it will need more.
Fry The Pakora
Heat 4-5 cups of oil for frying in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Now drain the potato slices from the water very well. Add a few slices to the batter and coat them well from all sides.
Note – Draining all the water from the potato slices is important otherwise the water in them will thin down the batter and it will not stick to the slices.
Drop the slices in hot oil and fry on medium heat until the are golden brown and crispy (5-8 minutes for each batch). Flip them frequently while frying using a slotted spoon.
Do not overcrowd the pan otherwise, it will lower the temperature of the oil and the pakora will not turn out crispy.
How to check if the oil is hot enough – To check if the oil is hot enough to fry the pakora, drop a few drops of batter in it. It should come up fast and steadily. If it’s coming up slowly, the oil is hot enough.
Tip – While making the pakoras, keep a bowl full of water on the counter. After dropping every batch in the oil, rinse your fingers and wipe with a kitchen towel. Your hands will not be messy while frying the pakora.
Drain the pakoras on a plate lined with paper towels to soak the excess oil. Sprinkle chaat masala all over the pakora. Make all the pakora in the same manner and serve hot.
Tip – If you have some leftover batter, use it to make plain pakoras and dunk them in kadhi or in an onion tomato gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peel the potatoes using a vegetable peeler and trim the ends. Now thinly slice the potatoes starting from one end to another end using a sharp knife. You can also use a mandolin slicer to slice them.
Yes, you can! Follow the same recipe, just use sweet potatoes instead of potatoes to make sweet potato or shakarkandi pakoras. They will be slightly sweet in taste though.
There might be two reasons for your fritters being soggy,
Firstly, the consistency of the batter is very thin or runny. When this happens, it doesn’t stick to the potato slices and comes off while deep frying making the fritters soggy.
Secondly, the oil is not hot enough. If you add the battered slices to cold oil, the pakoras will soak up the oil and become soggy.
If you want to make aloo pakora without besan, replace besan with all-purpose flour. Keep the rest of the recipe the same.
No, I wouldn’t say that this is a healthy snack. But like I always say, if you eat it in moderation and occasionally, then there is no harm in indulging yourself once in a while.
Serving Suggestions
Serve aloo pakora along with green chutney or sweet tamarind chutney with a cup of masala chai or adrak wali chai. They also taste great with tomato ketchup.
You can also stuff them in between pav, buns, or bread, smear some green chutney, butter and enjoy them as a sandwich.
You can also make a pakora wrap (roll) by stuffing these potato fritters in whole wheat or all-purpose flour roti or paratha, along with green chutney, mustard sauce, and some thinly sliced onions.
Leftover pakoras can be added to an onion tomato gravy to make aloo pakora sabji.
Storage Suggestions
Aloo Pakoda tastes best when served right out of the oil. If you still have leftovers, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Air fry or bake until hot and crisp and serve.
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Recipe Card
Crispy Aloo Pakora Recipe (Potato Bajji)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces potatoes (250 g)
- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 very small pinch baking soda
- oil (for frying)
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
Instructions
Prepare The Potatoes
- Wash the potatoes and peel them using a vegetable peeler. Slice them in thin slices (⅛ inch) and soak in a bowl filled with water. If kept without water, the potatoes will turn black from oxidation.
Make The Pakora Batter
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together chickpea flour, rice flour, cornstarch, red chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and baking soda.
- Note – The quantity of turmeric powder and baking soda is very important. If you add more turmeric with baking soda, the pakoda will turn reddish in color and will not look very appetizing.
- Add water (½-¾ cup) a little at a time and make a slightly flowing smooth batter. The batter should neither be too thick nor too thin. It should be just thick enough to coat the slices and stick to them. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Note – The quantity of water will depend on the quality of chickpea flour. If the flour is finely ground, it will require less water and if it is coarse it will need more.
Fry The Pakora
- Heat 4-5 cups of oil for frying in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Now drain the potato slices from the water very well. Add a few slices to the batter and coat them well from all the sides.
- Note – Draining all the water from the potato slices is important otherwise the water in them will thin down the batter and it will not stick to the slices.
- Drop the slices in hot oil and fry on medium heat until nicely browned and crispy (5-8 minutes for each batch). Flip them frequently while frying using a slotted spoon.
- Do not overcrowd the pan otherwise it will lower the temperature of the oil and the pakora will not turn out crispy.
- How to check if the oil is hot enough – To check if the oil is hot enough to fry the pakora, drop a few drops of batter in it. It should come up fast and steadily. If it’s coming up slowly, the oil is hot enough.
- Tip – While making the pakoras, keep a bowl full of water on the counter. After dropping every batch in the oil, rinse your fingers and wipe with a kitchen towel. Your hands will not be messy while frying the pakora.
- Drain the pakoras on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle chaat masala all over the pakora. Make all the pakora in the same manner and serve hot.
- Tip – If you have some leftover batter, use it to make plain pakoras and dunk them in kadhi or in an onion tomato gravy.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!