Gobi Pakora Recipe (Cauliflower Pakora)
Gobi pakora (cauliflower pakoda) is a crispy, deep-fried Indian snack made by dipping blanched cauliflower florets in a spiced chickpea flour (besan) batter and frying them until golden and crunchy. This popular North Indian tea-time snack comes together in under 30 minutes and is best served hot with green chutney and masala chai.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
To Blanch The Cauliflower
- 1 medium cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon salt
For The Batter
- 1 cup besan (chickpea flour, gram flour)
- 3 tablespoons rice flour
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Frying
- 3-4 cups oil
For Serving
- chaat masala
Instructions
Prep The Cauliflower
- Cut cauliflower into medium florets. Heat 4 cups of water until hot but not boiling. Add the florets along with salt. Cover the pan and let them sit for 5 minutes. This blanching step thoroughly cleans the florets, draws out any hidden worms, and par-cooks the gobi so it fries evenly.
- Drain well and pat the florets completely dry with a kitchen towel. Dry florets are the first secret to crispy pakoras; water in the batter’s way means oil splatter and a soggy coating.
Make The Batter
- Whisk together besan, rice flour, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, green chilies, cilantro, carom seeds, kasuri methi, baking soda, and salt to taste in a large bowl.
- Add water little by little (approximately ¾ cup) and whisk to make a smooth, lump-free batter. The batter for gobi pakora should be slightly thinner than the batter for onion pakoda, thin enough to coat the delicate florets evenly, but thick enough to cling.
Resting the batter is optional. Unlike some batters, this one needs no resting time, so you can heat the oil first and work straight through.
Dip the back of a spoon in the batter and run a finger across it. If the line holds its shape, the consistency is right.
Fry The Pakoras (Double Fry Method)
- Heat 3-4 cups of oil in a kadai or deep pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium. Dip each floret in the batter, let the excess drip off, and gently slide it into the oil. Fry in batches without crowding the pan; overcrowding drops the oil temperature and makes the pakoras oily. I fried this amount in 3 batches.
- First fry: Fry on medium heat until the pakoras are lightly golden and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Drain on a plate.
- Second fry: Just before serving, heat the oil over high heat until very hot, then fry the pakoras again for 2-3 minutes, until deep golden and crispy. The first fry cooks the coating but leaves moisture behind. The second fry in very hot oil evaporates that moisture, and that is what gives you the shattering crunch.
- Drain on paper towels, sprinkle chaat masala (optional but recommended) on top, and serve immediately.
Oil temperature is everything. Too hot, and the pakoras are brown on the outside while staying raw inside. Too low, and they drink up oil. Test with a drop of batter; it should rise steadily to the surface, not shoot up or sink.
Nutrition
Calories: 425kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1307mg | Potassium: 705mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg
