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Chicken pakora
Chicken fritters
ਚਿਕਨ ਪਕੌੜਾ: Amritsari-style ajwain and ginger-garlic chicken in a crisp besan batter
In Amritsar's old city, the evening crowd moves from the Golden Temple to the fry shops around Lawrence Road, where chicken pakoras come out of huge kadais by the kilo, sprinkled with chaat masala and handed over with sliced onion and lemon. Boneless thigh is marinated with ginger, garlic, ajwain and chilli, then coated in a thin besan batter that fries crisp and blistered. The mistake to avoid is overloading the pan: the oil temperature drops, the batter soaks up fat and the chicken stews rather than fries. Cook in small batches and let the oil recover each time. Chef's tip: thigh stays juicy where breast dries out; cut it into even 3 cm pieces so every piece is cooked at the same moment.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 ⅛ lb boneless chicken thighscut into 3 cm pieces
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
- 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
For the coating
- 2 ⅞ oz besan (gram flour)
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 5 tbsp cold waterroughly
For frying and serving
- 3 ¼ cups sunflower or mustard oilfor deep-frying
- 1 tsp chaat masala
- 1 red onion (optional)sliced into rings
- 1 lemon (optional)cut into wedges
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb boneless chicken thighs with 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds), 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala and 1 tsp salt. Cover and leave for at least 20 minutes, or up to 4 hours in the fridge.
22 minStep 2: Sprinkle 2 ⅞ oz besan (gram flour) and 2 tbsp rice flour over the chicken and add 5 tbsp cold water a spoonful at a time, mixing with your hand, until each piece is coated in a thick, sticky paste with no dry flour left.
4 minStep 3: Pour 3 ¼ cups sunflower or mustard oil into a heavy kadai or deep pan so it is no more than a third full and heat over medium-high to 350°F on a thermometer. No thermometer? Drop in a 2 cm cube of bread: it should sizzle at once and turn golden in about 60 seconds. Stay at the stove the whole time the oil is hot and keep children and pets away.
6 minStep 4: Lower 8–10 pieces into the oil one at a time. Fry, turning, for 5–6 minutes until deep reddish-gold and crisp. The pieces float and the loud bubbling quietens when they are done; a cut piece should be white right through with clear juices (167°F in the thickest part).
12 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper and fry the rest, letting the oil come back to 350°F between batches. Turn off the heat when you finish.
2 minStep 6: Sprinkle with 1 tsp chaat masala and serve hot with 1 red onion and 1 lemon.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chicken pakora take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of boneless chicken thighs?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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