These Chicken Pakoras are as great Chicken Pakoray should be - airy crispy crunchy on the outside, flavorful and feisty on the inside. They are also - like all our recipes - easy to make!
Chicken Pakora: Flavours
One of my first questions when I look at a recipe is what does it taste like so let me break it down for you. These Chicken Pakoras have an airy, crispy, exterior that coats succulent richly flavored chicken pieces that are savory, spicy, and tangy i.e. chatpata.
In other words, they are what happens when homestyle and wedding style chicken pakoras have a baby.
Now you absolutely can, and should, tweak to preferences, but if you like a bit of a kick then I'd definitely give this a shot as written!
Ingredients in Chicken Pakoray
Now some of these are self explanatory (chicken, duh), but let's highlight a few that deserve special mention.
- kasuri methi: you know I love this aromatic dried herb and it features in my Pakora Mix as well. It adds a layer of aroma to these pakoras which along with the spice below, make them sing.
- ajwain or carom seeds: deeply savory and aromatic, a small pinch of these seeds go a very long way.
- soy sauce: I know, I know - this is a weird one, but adding soy sauce to the mix not only adds a kind of umami but also takes away the bland chicken vibes.
- rice flour: I am typically happy to use cornstarch in my pakoras, and you absolutely can here as well, but rice flour adds an airy crispy quality to the pakoras. Cornstarch creates a more dense crunch.
How to Make Chicken Pakoras
Cut your chicken into cubes and add in the marinade ingredients. Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes.
Now, add your dry mix and stir really well. Add your water gradually - you want just enough water to create a coating, not a wet batter. This will give your Chicken Pakora a lighter crispy exterior.
Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and when it's shimmering and hot then add in your chicken pieces and fry for 3 minutes or so per side or until a bronze-y colour.
Tip: To keep the Chicken Pakoray crispy drain the excess oil on a wire rack.
Serve hot, with ketchup or your favorite chutney.
To Air Fry or Not to Air Fry
You can airy fry these Chicken Pakora as well by spraying them lightly with olive oil and air frying for 4 minutes per side. However, air fryer settings vary so watch them closely! Also, just a gentle reminder that the final outcome isn't quite as juicy as the fried one.
Iftar Menu Ideas
I have a collection of Iftar Recipes right here, but I love making fun combos so let's go!
- Chicken Pakoras
- Green Chutney
- Mixed Plate Chaat OR Chana Chaat
- Dal Chicken
- Plain Rice
Tried this recipe? Rate it below! Leave a comment and/or tag me in your recreations @flourandspiceblog on Instagram.
Chicken Pakoray - Crunchy & Chatpatay
Equipment
- 1 Frying Pan
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- ¾ lb chicken (roughly two smaller chicken breasts) cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp soy sauce
- ¾ tsp chili flakes
- ¾ tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp kasuri methi
- 1 tsp coriander powder (bhunna dhania or roasted coriander is lovely here if handy)
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ⅓ tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
- 1 minced green chili (use half if they're spicy)
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander/cilantro
Dry Mix
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp rice flour
- 2 tbsp besan (chickepea flour)
Instructions
- Mix your marinade ingredients into the chicken and set aside for 20 minutes.
- Now add your dry mix and mix well, and slowly add in water 1 tbsp at a time (I usually use 3) until you have a coating like in the image. Please note it's not thick
- Heat about an inch of oil in a pan and fry for a 3 minutes on each side or until deeply golden.
- For optimal crunch drain them on a wire rack
Ana K says
First time making these and they came out amazing! Thank you for the great recipe
Sarah Mir says
Yay! thanks so so much for sharing this review!
Nida says
Turned out really good!
Sarah Mir says
Thank you so so much Nida!
Natasha says
Such a quick recipe, clear instructions and all pantry ingredients, they turn out super juicy and crispy. Thank you for the simple instructions - they came out perfik!
Sarah Mir says
Why thank you Natasha!
Ayesha Chagtai says
The most delicious and crispy and truly chatpatay pakoras I’ve had to date! Best of all, it’s easy to put together!
Sarah Mir says
Ayesha!!! How utterly fabulous to hear that! thank you so much for the review!
Ana says
Love this
Sarah Mir says
Thank you Ana!
Suraiya says
Made these yesterday for iftar. They turned out fantastic and were absolutely delicious! It will certainly be a regular on our weekly menu!! Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe.
Sarah Mir says
Thank YOU Suraiya for the review and rating! SO glad you enjoyed them!
Fareha Bugti says
Airfryer time and temp?
Sarah Mir says
Hi Fareha! Most air fryers have a default time for air fry that replicates frying temperatures. The default on mine is 390F and the time is the 4 minutes on each side mentioned in the post!