Quick, easy, crispy onion fritters recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in one pot on stovetop in 30 minutes. These Indian onion pakora are full of garlic, onion, red chili and sesame seeds.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from One Pot Recipes
What makes a savory food like onions better? The answer is frying them! These are similar to American onion rings, but I honestly think they taste even better because of the flavorful seasonings added to the batter. This is always requested by my family at Summer picnics and potlucks. You can also add these Crispy Fried Cheese Curds (One Pan), Crispy Fried Chicken Bites (One Pot), Crispy Baked Zucchini Chips (One Pan), Potato Fritters/ Aloo Pakora (One Pot), and Crispy Zucchini Fries (One Pan) to your next party menu.
Jump to:
Key ingredients
- Flour- You need to use both, all-purpose flour and chickpea flour for best crispy results.
- Water- This is will help to create a smooth batter.
- Onions- These should be thinly sliced for best crispiness. I have noticed that thick slices absorb too much oil during frying and as a result, they have a softer texture.
- Oil- Use a neutral tasting oil for frying.
- Seasoning- Everyone in my family has their own spice blend they like to use. After many variations, I narrowed it down to cumin, black sesame seeds, red chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Variations for Savory Indian onion pakoda/ pakora
- Add other veggies– Such as grated zucchini, corn, peppers, grated carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower.
- Add potatoes- Such as shredded Russet or even sweet potatoes.
- Mix in shredded cheese– Such as cheddar, Swiss, pepperjack, or mozzarella.
- Try other spices– Such as paprika or smoked paprika, basil, oregano, or rosemary.
- Add seasonings- Such as Cajun, taco, or curry seasoning.
- Omit black sesame seeds– I love the color they add, but if you do not prefer them or have them, they can be left out. You can also replace with regular white sesame seeds, if you like.
- Make them spicy– Add more red chili powder or cayenne for even more heat.
How to make easy crispy onion fritters recipe from scratch?
- Prepare batter- By mixing together all the ingredients except oil.
- Drop spoonfuls- In hot oil.
- Fry- Until golden brown and crispy.
what to Serve With Them?
They are typically served with mint coriander chutney or tamarind sauce or even savory yogurt raita. Here are some of my other favorites:
- Easy Zhoug Sauce (Blender)
- Apple Cranberry Chutney (One Pot)
- Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip (One Pot)
- Creamy Dill Dip (One Bowl)
- Easy Queso Dip (One Pot)
- Best Chimichurri Sauce (Blender)
- Easy Guacamole Recipe (One Bowl)
- Ketchup
- Sriracha sauce
- Ranch sauce
- Sriracha mayo
Tips and techniques
- Add more or less seasonings– Based on your personal preference.
- Must line pan with paper towels– Because this removes the excess oil so that the fritters become crispy.
- Batter cannot be runny– It has to be thick so that it can coat the onions. Be sure to measure ingredients correctly.
- Don’t add the battered onions in cold oil– The oil must be preheated in order for the batter to remain on the onions and fry properly.
- How to make extra crispy fritters? Add 1-2 tablespoon rice flour for extra crispiness.
- Turn over fritters while frying– Because this ensures they fry evenly. Flip as many times as needed to ensure an even fry.
- Use a large Ziploc bag to mix ingredients– You can use a mixing bowl, but I prefer less mess and the easy clean-up of a Ziploc bag.
- Place the fritters gently in the oil– Because this keeps you from being burned by splashing hot oil.
Recipe FAQs
This can result from too much flour in the coating, not frying at a high enough temperature, or piling them after frying instead of letting them drain in one layer on a paper towel.
I recommend using sweeter onions such as Vidalia or yellow onions because their flavor is not ovewhelming.
Storage
- Refrigerate– These are best served immediately but can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 1 day but note that they will become a bit soggy.
- Freeze– I don't recommend this because they don't thaw well. I learned that the hard way. I froze them before a party, thinking I was going to save time. When they thawed, they were so soggy and the onions had a weird limp texture. Don't do it!
- Reheat– In the oven, toaster oven or air fryer rather than a microwave to allow the crispy texture to return.
- Make ahead- You can prepare the batter 1 day in advance and keep in the fridge. Mix in the onions, just before frying.
More easy one pot appetizers
- Cheesy Spinach Puffs (One Pan)
- Stuffed Mini Peppers (One Pan)
- Ham and Cheese Sliders (One Pan)
- Cranberry Brie Bites (One Pan)
- Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Wings (One Pan)
Recipe
Easy Crispy One Pot Onion Fritters (Onion Pakora)
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from One Pot Recipes
Ingredients
- ½ cups All-purpose flour
- ½ cup Chickpea flour
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Black sesame seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion powder
- Salt To taste
- Pepper To taste
- ½-1 cup Water To make a smooth batter consistency
- 1 Onion Large, Peeled, Thinly sliced
- Oil For frying
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- While the oil is heating, make the batter.
- In a large Ziploc bag, add all-purpose flour, chickpea flour, cumin, black sesame seeds, red chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, water. You can use a large mixing bowl but Ziploc bag allows for easier clean up.
- Mix until batter is thick and smooth.
- Add onion slices in the batter and mix until fully coated.
- Place spoonfuls of this onion mixture gently in hot oil.
- Turn over as needed a few times for even frying and until fritters are golden brown and crispy.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove them from oil and place them on a large tray, lined with paper towels. Enjoy.
Notes
- Add more or less seasonings per your preference and you can even use other seasoning blends that you enjoy.Â
- You must have a thick batter so that it sticks to the onions properly and doesn't slide off during frying.Â
- For an extra crispy factor, mix in 1-2 tablespoon rice flour.Â
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- This tastes best when served immediately. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the the fridge for up 1 day and reheated in a toaster oven or air fryer but they won't be as crispy as before.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Leave a Reply