Onion Pakoras (Indian Onion Fritters)

An absolutely smashing Indian version of onion fritters; these remind me of onion rings and are made with toasted chickpea flour and an array of spices…beyond delicious!

Did you miss me? Please say yes…I’ve been absent for a bit and it’s always nice to have someone notice! Oh I threw in a cocktail from another year but it’s been about two weeks and no food, no new cocktails, nope. Barb has been a slacker for sure. These Onion Pakoras (Indian Onion Fritters) are a nice entry back; I could literally eat the whole batch. Maybe I will; it’s 8:20pm and I’ve not eaten dinner yet…yes, I absolutely will!

If you’ve read this blog long enough you might notice a pattern and that pattern is predicted by Spring! I hate to admit it but I can’t do it all and this Spring ALL was a lot.

In short order I have had air conditioning installed (and not turned it on yet…see why I hesitated?), my deck stained, and a beautiful border put around my yard instead of that awful metal edging, Isn’t it beautiful? I simply LOVE it! That’s all in conjunction with my standard spring stuff which is filling up that perennial bed and another one in back with more plants and of course re-arranging some I’ve put in before…that NEVER ends.

So what brought me back? Well, Progressive Eats. My pal Ansh decided on an Indian theme, which is not that much of a stretch for her because she is Indian, but for most of the rest of us, it’s always a discovery into new foods and new spices and new and exciting flavors.

I have to be honest, I almost bailed.  Because on top of everything else, I volunteered to help a neighbor I did not know with her two dogs while they’re gone for ten days. She had asked for help in our neighborhood Facebook group, she clearly had a real need and I thought…two little dogs? I can do that. And then I discovered that Spot’s owners were going to be gone the same week and well, Spot is my boy, no way was he going to a facility; I would just have to manage three little dogs. No biggie right?

And they are really not that much except the unknowns. One of the two new little guys is a Cairn Terrier. Much like a dog I once owned, a Schnauzer, they are vocal little pups and I’m certainly grateful that I am now protected from every movement on our street. And every ding of my phone. And every dog who barks in the neighborhood. When Bonnie finally crashes at night; I’m ready. Her buddy Shorty sort of follows suit but he doesn’t measure up at all; Bonnie is the champ of protection.

And poor Spot, wondering WTF; where do I fit in now? Today is his first day with the other two…they seem to be working it out after a bit of awkwardness; evidenced in pupworld by some growling and posturing. None of them are mean or would bite and the hierarchy appears to be set; the girl rules. As it should be. 🙂

Anyway all of that to just let you know I might be a bit busy so I looked for something easy and tasty and wow…did I ever find it. These are SO simple although fair warning; grinding up toasted chickpeas in a food processor is not a quick task…those are very hard little suckers! You can substitute flour but you would miss a much nuttier flavor so I think it was worth the constant processor noise; not sure the dogs would agree…they’re not getting any reward for tolerating it and I am! If you have more time than I did; you can order it already ground from Amazon.

I was remiss in not removing one from my homemade wrapper so you could see what the individual fritters look like. The onions are sliced into about 1-2 inch pieces so they are very irregular little circles. I used my largest cookie scooper to form them; so each fritter is about 3 inches in diameter with lots of onion piece tendrils; not unlike fried hash browns. But there the similarity stops.

These remind me of onion rings but are so much better. The toasted, nutty chickpea flour combined with garlic and garam masala and cumin and cilantro…just a great blend of spices. So yummy…I’m struggling to finish writing this without taking a break and heading to the kitchen!

When I was researching this dish, I found lots of different versions with an equal amount of different spices used. I sort of threw together my favorites. There were also lots of different dipping sauces for them. I love them with just a teeny sprinkle of salt so honestly didn’t have the time or desire to create some of the sauces I saw including coconut and tamarind…maybe next time.

I simply used a staple in my fridge, Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce. It was perfect and a much needed easy component. I use this sauce a lot. Scrambled eggs, french fries, fried wontons…maybe nothing Indian until today but I didn’t let that stop me; so I made this a more international recipe in the end; that’s all good right? 🙂

PIN ‘Onion Pakoras (Indian Onion Fritters)’

I mentioned it was Progressive Eats time so I hope you’ll enjoy all the fabulous dishes from my friends too…something for everyone!

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is an Indian Picnic, and our host is Ansh who blogs at SpiceRoots.

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats it’s a virtual party. A theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. Come along and see all of the delicious Indian Picnic inspired dishes!

Print Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Onion Pakoras (Indian Onion Fritters)

Onion Pakoras are fried onion fritters with Indian spices and topped with a sweet chili sauce.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time16 mins

Additional Time5 mins

Total Time31 mins

Course: Appetizers

Servings: 2 dozen

Calories:

Author: Creative Culinary

Ingredients

For the Chickpea Flour (Besan)

• Any quantity of dried chickpeas (I did an entire small package so I can make this again but you just need to make enough for 10 Tbsp.

For the Onion Pakoras

• 4 medium onions sliced then quarter the slices
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 10 Tbsp besan flour roasted chickpea flour
• 2 ½ Tbsp wheat flour
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp Cilantro coriander leaves chopped
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp water

Instructions

• To Make Toasted Chickpea Flour
• Toast the chickpeas in the oven on 350 degrees for about 7-8 minutes until a warm brown. Remove them from the oven and cool completely.
• Place the dried chickpeas in a food processor, working in batches if you are making a large quantity. Cover and process on high speed for two or three minutes until a powdery flour forms. Cover the top of the feed tube so that chickpea flour doesn't waft out while the machine is running.
• Sift the mixture into a bowl to separate the fine flour from the hard bits of chickpeas that did not process. I just pitch any small bits that didn't process but you can use a spice grinder if you want to grind those too.
• When all of the chickpeas have been ground into flour, sift again to remove and discard any remaining pieces of chickpeas that did not process.
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dry place.
• To Make the Onion Pakoras
• In a bowl, put all the ingredients except the water. Mix well with a large spoon and then squeeze the onions with your hands which helps to release their juices. This helps form a batter. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
• Add a little water, from 1-2 Tablespoons, just enough so you can form small fritters (the size of a golf ball). Mix well. Place scoops into the hot oil and press gently to flatten slightly.
• Deep fry them in vegetable oil at 350°F until cooked through and golden brown; flipping gently if needed. Put them on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
• Serve with or without sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1grams