Chicken Pakora (Indian Style Fried Chicken bites)

Chicken Pakora, a mouthwatering South Indian-style fried chicken fritter. Quick and easy to prepare, this crispy and flavorful snack is ideal for tea time or as an appetizer. Get ready to savor every bite!

Pakoras are known for being a good tea-time snack for Indians

Chicken Pakoras, Pakodas, or pakodis are popular snacks in South Asian cuisine. Made by coating pieces of vegetables or meat with a batter made from chickpea flour and spices, and then deep-frying them until they are crispy and golden brown.

Onions, potatoes, and spinach are the most common vegetables used for pakoras.

Alternatively, you can also use other vegetables like eggplant, cauliflower, and bell peppers.

Not only vegetables, but you can also use meat such as chicken, fish, and shrimp to make pakoras.

These pakodas are served as an appetizer or snack, and are accompanied by Hari Green Mint chutney or a yogurt-based dipping sauce.

Pakoras, Pakoda or Pakodis are popular during monsoon season in South Asia, and

People of all ages love pakoras and are a staple in the cuisine of many South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions, Variations & Additional Ingredients
• Storage, Shelf Life and Make Ahead Tips
• Serving Suggestions and Ideas
• Tips For the Best Chicken Pakoras
• Other Chicken Starters you should try
• 📖 Recipe
• Related Recipes

Ingredients

This Chicken Pakora is a South Indian style pakoda recipe, Strips of chicken coated in gram flour, spices, onions, green chillies, and curry leaves and deep fried until crisp

This recipe is similar to my easy Chicken 65 recipe, but the batter is drier with very few wet ingredients.

• Chicken Boneless - Breast or thigh boneless. Cut into small length-wise strips
• Besan/ Gram flour - Besan or gram flour, is the main flour for any pakora recipe
• Rice Flour - just a little bit, for that extra crispiness.
• ginger garlic paste
• Salt
• Red chili powder
• Ground Coriander/Dhaniya powder - ground coriander, to balance the heat.
• turmeric Powder
• Saunf/fennel/Sompu - Ground fennel or famously called the saunf powder.
• Curry leaves
• Onions - Cut into lengthwise
• Green Chillies- Indian Green Chillies Or Serrano peppers. This ingredient is optional, but definitely worth adding in and trying

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Here's a Step By Step Process to make these South Indian Style Chicken Pakodas

1. Heat oil in a deep frying pan or kadhai over medium heat
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the red chili powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, turmeric powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix all the ingredients together.
3. Firstly, add the chicken pieces and mix well until each piece is coated with all the dry ingredients. Next, gradually add the besan flour, ensuring that the chicken pieces are only lightly coated. Then, slowly sprinkle water to achieve a well-coated mixture. Finally, incorporate the rice flour and mix thoroughly.
4. Subsequently, with the oil sufficiently heated, carefully drop the chicken pieces into the oil using a spoon. Fry them until they turn a delightful golden brown and achieve a crispy texture. Remember to turn the chicken pieces occasionally for even cooking.
5. Once the chicken pakoras are cooked to perfection, remove them from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
6. This will help to absorb the excess oil.
7. Serve the chicken pakoras hot with your favorite chutney or dipping sauce.

Substitutions, Variations & Additional Ingredients

This Chicken Pakoda is a typical South Indian style recipe, and these ingredients do absolute justice to its original.

However, every Indian state and region has their very own version of pakoda, pakodis, and pakoras. Consequently, their recipes do slightly differ.

From north India which contains jeera and ajwain, To Andhra Pakodis, similar to this recipe.

Storage, Shelf Life and Make Ahead Tips

Chicken pakoras are best served hot. So I do not recommend storing chicken pakoras

Also to store chicken pakora mix, mix all the ingredients except onions, green chilies, ginger garlic paste, and water. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Serving Suggestions and Ideas

These Chicken Pakoras are best served hot with any favorite chutney like Hari chutney Tamarind chutney, south Indian style pudina chutney, or simple tomato ketchup

Tips For the Best Chicken Pakoras

Here are some tips for making the best pakoras

1. Use a mix of flours: A combination of besan flour (chickpea, gram flour) and rice flour will give pakoras a light and crispy texture.
2. Just Sprinkle Water - Sprinkle water, onto the pakora mixture, do not pour. You need to make sure, that all the ingredients like flour and spice just have to stick together. and not a batter-like consistency
3. Cut chicken into thin strips - Cut the chicken into thin strips to ensure they cook through and become crispy. Preferably long vertical cuts.
4. Don't overcrowd the pan: Fry the pakoras in batches and make sure not to overcrowd the pan as it can lower the temperature of the oil and make the pakoras oily.
5. Drain excess oil: After frying the pakoras, place them on a paper towel to drain any extra oil.
6. Serve hot: These south indian style Pakoras are best served hot and crispy, with a good Hari chutney or coconut chutney, so serve them immediately after frying.

Other Chicken Starters you should try

Crispy Chicken lollipop

Chicken 65 without egg and yogurt

Chicken Malai kabab

Hariyali Chicken tikka

Chicken Tangdi kebab

Afghani chicken tikka

Airfryer Tandoori chicken kebab

📖 Recipe

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