The perfectly spiced Homemade Pakora Mix to simplify your life! Pakoras are a classic Ramadan Recipe (and rainy season too!). Prepping a big batch of the mix means you can fry a few whenever the urge strikes!
Details on How to Make (and heat) Pakoras in the post.
I have said it before and I will say it again - Mama Jafri is a practical lady and a force to be reckoned with. At some point she realized that spending so much time making pakora mix daily in Ramadan was quite ridiculous and started making huge batches of a dry pakora mix. Then at iftar time she would add a little water and whatever she was in the mood for.
Three Reasons to Make Pakora Mix
1.) You can fry as many (or as few) pakoras as you like - my general philosophy is the more I fry the more I eat so being able to easily portion control is a win!
2.) Saves you time during the month of Ramadan and that last 30 minutes of Iftar prep.
3.) Commercial mixes don't taste as good and have all kinds of preservatives. No thanks.
Pssst if you haven't yet then I do encourage you to try my Chicken Pakoras, they are zesty, fun and crunchy!
On Besan and Spices
In Pakistan the only Besan I ever saw came from chickpeas and it was only when I came to Canada that I realized you can buy Besan made from Chickpeas and Chana daal. Either variety work for this Pakora Mix.
What makes a Pakora delicious is the interplay between flavour and texture.
Salt, Chilli powder, Coriander Powder - they add flavour. Cumin seeds, Chilli flakes, Ajwain - these add a flavour and a texture. The Baking Soda and Cornstarch meanwhile combine to create a texture that is crisp and appropriately airy.
How to Make and Use the Mix
For your easy Pakora mix simply combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well. Store in an airtight jar for up to six months.
When you are ready to use it then for a regular/ plain pakora simply add ¾ cup of water to 1 cup of mix.
For onion pakoras (or any vegetable) you want a slightly less wet mix so here I use ½ cup water for 1 cup mix. Then drop your pakora in hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side or until deeply golden. Cool on a wire rack for optimal crispiness.
Tip: If you set your onions and the dry mix (no water) aside a few hours ahead of time then the onion will release it's own water and you will end up with a delicious crispy pakora.
Ideas for Pakora Mix Ins
While you can make pakoras as is, you can also mix in the following veggie combos for delicious results.
- thinly sliced potatoes
- spinach leaves
- a mix of julienne onions, chilies and potatoes
- green chilies - batter mild ones
- corn - drain corn kernels well and mix them in along with some scallions!
My favourite pakora: sliced boiled eggs. It sounds weird, but that is literally my favourite pakora. Green chutney not optional.
Genius Pakora Tip
I recently got a really good pakora tip from a friend, Freda uses carbonated water for her pakoras to get airy delicious crisp beauties. Another tip is to sprinkle the "sweeter" Pakoras like onion ones with a little Chaat Masala before serving - so good!
Pakoras without chutney are more than a little lonely, don't forget to make this amazing green chutney for your pakoras!
Reheating Pakoras
If you are hosting then the last thing you want to be doing is frying pakoras in the kitchen while your guests break their fast. Here is what I do instead
- Fry pakoras in advance, drain excess oil on a wire rack
- Reheat for fifteen minutes before serving in EITHER the warm oven you are using to keep your food warm or a toaster ovens for 5-10 minutes.
- Please remember that your food will get cold when it comes out. That is normal. A good crispy flavorful mix like this one will be yummy even at room temperature.
Notes (Added May 19th 2018) - Thanks for all the love on this recipe! I just wanted to share a few quick things. If you want softer pakoras, skip the cornstarch, that adds a little crunch. Also with baking soda if you put too much it will give you an after taste. Besan also does not keep well indefinitely so try to use a bag you bought within the last 6 months 🙂
Pakora Mix & How to Make Pakoras
Ingredients
- 4 cups besan
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp ajwain (optional)
- ½ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a clean air tight jar, they will easily last two weeks or more.
- To make pakoras - take out some of the dry mix.For plain pakoras put ¾ the amount of water to the dry mix and fry on medium heat till golden and for vegetable ones start with half a cup water to 1 cup mix and adjust if needed.
- Tip: Draining your pakoras on a wire rack (versus paper towel) will lead to a crispier pakora!
Notes
Farah Rafeek says
This is my favourite gift to give for Ramadan, and friends and family use it for more than one iftaar! It’s simple and easy and looks great in a mason jar! This will be my 3rd year giving this out. Thank you for a great gift idea!
Sarah Mir says
Absolutely loved hearing that! Hoping this ramadan is a happy blessed one for you!
Wajeeha says
This is the third consecutive year I'm preparing this pakora mix for Ramadan.
Sarah Mir says
thrilled to hear that!!! thank you so so much!
Kim Vijay Akshay Ajay monu group says
Pakode non veg pakode send all family members full house portion my home fridge my home place take all family members same food
Yusra says
This recipe has made my Ramadan so much easier n the pakoras are super crispy with perfect spices! JazakAllah khair Sarah
Sarah Mir says
Yusra that is fantastic to hear!
Aleena says
You are a life saver
Can’t wait to use this
Sarah Mir says
aww thank you Aleena!
Hina says
This is the perfect pakora mix that everyone needs. I keep it in my pantry all year long.
Sarah Mir says
Thank you Hina!!!!
Isha says
Hello,
This pakora mix has made my life so much easier in Ramadan! May Allah bless you immensely! Thank you!
Sarah Mir says
Isha!!! It makes me SO happy to hear that - THANK YOU!
Hena says
Love this! Made a small portion of it last year, and it was great to have everything measured out when in the mood to make pakoras in Ramzan. Question, How many pakoras do you expect to make out of this given quantity of pakora mix?
Sarah Mir says
Hi Hena! Glad you liked it! Honestly it depends on the kinds of pakoras you make, veggie ones tend to stretch the batter more, plain ones use more batter.
Rashi says
Hi so if I want to add carbonated water to the pakoda mix , do I still add baking powder .
Sarah Mir says
I'd say why not!
Saba says
Thank you for this genius idea. Looks fool proof! Will definitely try x
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Yay! Hope you love it!
Saman says
Hi. Do we need to refrigerate this mix?
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi Saman! No you don't - room temperature is great!
Mari says
Hi! Can we halve the recipe? Thank you
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Hi and absolutely!
Mari says
Can I halve the recipe? Thank you.
Fatima says
Love this tip to make pakora mix and store it. Thanks
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
It is my go to! Glad it helped!
Lynn says
My kids favorite is chili rellanos with pakora batter. Sounds strange, but they all are 40 and 50 and still love pakora of all kinds. Thank you for this mix recipe. Will be nice to have mix ready.
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
That actually sounds amazing and I can't wait to try it! Thanks for sharing!
Anum says
So looking forward to the pakora curry recipe!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Fingers crossed! Thanks for stopping by!