Chicken Pakora—crunchy fried chicken pieces with ginger, garlic, ground chile, and chaat masala coated in a chickpea flour batter—are an easy appetizer and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
1 ¼poundsskinless boneless chicken thighscut into bite size pieces
1teaspoonminced ginger
1or 2 garlic clovesminced
1teaspoonKashmiri chili powderor another ground red chilli powder
2teaspoonschaat masala
Dashes of turmeric powderchilli flakes, and other spices are optional
½teaspoonkosher saltplus more for garnish
½teaspoonbaking soda
½cupbesanaka gram flour or chickpea flour
1tablespooncornstarch
½ to ¾cupwater
Oil for frying
Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the boneless chicken cubes, ginger, garlic, chili powder, chaat masala, and salt and toss to mix. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the besan, cornstarch, and water and whisk well. Add chicken cubes to the pakora batter and stir. Make sure to coat the chicken pieces completely.
Let stand for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over high or medium-high heat. You want the oil to be hot enough that when you drop a piece of the batter-coated chicken in, it sizzles immediately.
Add the chicken pieces in batches to the hot oil and cook, turning as needed, until dark golden brown, about 6 to 9 minutes per batch. Transfer the cooked chicken pakora to a paper towel-lined plate.
Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with your favorite chutney. Garnish crispy chicken pakora with chopped green chillies, chopped cilantro or coriander leaves, or chopped curry leaves, if desired.
Notes
Boneless chicken thighs are recommended for making crispy chicken pakora, but you can use boneless chicken breast if you like.
You can substitute ginger garlic paste for the ginger and garlic if you like.
You can substitute potato starch or rice flour for the cornstarch.
You can substitute any red chilli powder for the Kashmiri chili powder.
Add other ground spices if you like, such as turmeric powder or chile flakes.
You can add cilantro or coriander leaves or green chilli to the batter or as a garnish on top.