By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 2, 2026
Serves 2
423 cal · 30 min
Spring Onion Pakora
Recipe GLPR7a40727eed6089
Crispy golden Indian fritters made with fresh spring onions bound in a spiced chickpea flour batter. These savory pakoras are deep-fried until crunchy on the outside and tender within, infused with warm spices like cumin, coriander, and garam masala. A popular vegetarian appetizer served hot with chutney or as a tea-time snack.
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Ingredients
¾ cup Chickpea flour (besan)
6 stalks (or 1½ cups chopped) Spring onions (green onions), rinsed and chopped finely
1 teaspoon grated Fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 small Green chilies, finely chopped
½ teaspoon Ground cumin
½ teaspoon Ground coriander
½ teaspoon Garam masala
1 teaspoon Red chili powder
⅛ teaspoon Ground turmeric
1 tablespoon Rice flour
2 teaspoons Sesame seeds
Salt, to taste
3 tablespoons Water, as needed
as needed Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Directions
Rinse the spring onions thoroughly under cold water and shake off excess moisture. Chop them finely, including both white and green parts, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpea flour, rice flour, grated ginger, finely chopped green chilies, ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, red chili powder, turmeric, sesame seeds, and salt.
Add the chopped spring onions to the spice mixture and stir well to distribute the vegetables evenly throughout the dry ingredients.
Gradually add water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. The batter should be thick enough to hold its shape when dropped from a spoon, but loose enough to be workable. Do not make it runny; a thick, cohesive consistency is essential for crispy pakoras.
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan or wok over medium-high heat. The oil should be hot (approximately 350°F or 175°C) before frying; test by dropping a small piece of batter into the oil—it should sizzle immediately and rise to the surface within a few seconds.
Using a spoon or pakora maker, carefully drop rounded spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Fry only a few pakoras at a time to maintain oil temperature and ensure even cooking.
Fry the pakoras for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until they turn golden brown and crispy on all sides. They should sound hollow when tapped.
Remove the cooked pakoras with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess oil.
Serve the pakoras immediately while hot, with mint chutney, tamarind chutney, or your preferred dipping sauce.
Comments
Spring onion pakora is achievable on a Charlotte weeknight, but the spice list demands a stop at an ethnic market like New Delhi Indian Grocery or similar, since Harris Teeter and Food Lion stock only turmeric and cumin reliably—garam masala, coriander, red chili powder, and fresh green chili are specialty items. Cost per serving lands under $3 once you have the spices on hand, driven by chickpea flour ($2–3 for a bag that covers multiple meals) and oil. The stated 30 minutes undersells prep: onion slicing, ginger-chili mincing, and batter-mixing actually consume 12–15 minutes before the fryer heats, pushing real time to 35–40 minutes. For a household of two, this is a same-night appetizer or snack that does not reheat well—crispy pakora turn soggy by lunch—so plan it as immediate gratification rather than meal prep.
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