Spinach Pakora (Spinach Fritters)

These spinach pakoras are crispy, and addicting, and only require a few ingredients. Make that cup of chai and cozy up to a fresh, hot batch of pakoras. 

Spinach pakora or palak pakora are a delightful and popular Indian snack known for their crispy texture and savory flavors. 

They are made by coating fresh baby spinach leaves with a spiced gram flour (besan) batter and then deep-frying them to golden perfection. Here’s a quick video!

Ingredients

➜Baby Spinach Leaves: The star ingredient of spinach fritters, fresh and tender baby spinach leaves are preferred for their delicate flavor and tender texture. You can use whole fresh spinach leaves or chop them into smaller pieces if desired.

➜Besan Flour (Gram Flour): Besan, also known as gram flour, is a type of chickpea flour that is a staple in Indian cooking. It is made from ground chickpeas and serves as the primary binding and flavoring agent in the batter. Besan lends a nutty flavor and a golden color to the pakoras.

➜Rice Flour: Rice flour is often added to the batter to enhance the crispiness of the pakoras. It helps create a light and crunchy texture when fried.

➜Baking Soda: Baking soda is a leavening agent that adds a bit of fluffiness to the batter. It also aids in achieving a crisp texture when frying.

➜Oil: You’ll need oil for two purposes in this recipe. Firstly, it’s used in the batter to make it into a thick paste. Secondly, you’ll need oil for deep-frying the pakoras. Common options for frying include vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil.

➜Green Chilies: Adds heat and spiciness to the pakoras. You can adjust the quantity to your spice tolerance.

Including green chilies in the batter or chopping them finely and mixing them in will give your spinach pakoras an extra layer of flavor and heat. 

➜Spices:

• Carom Seeds (Ajwain): Carom seeds add a distinctive flavor. They are commonly used in Indian fried snacks.
• Asafoetida (Hing): Asafoetida is used as a flavor enhancer. It has a strong and pungent aroma, so a little goes a long way.
• Salt: Salt not only seasons the pakoras but also helps to release moisture from the spinach leaves, making the batter crispier.
• Black Pepper: Ground black pepper adds a mild spicy kick to the pakoras. You can adjust the amount to suit your taste preferences and also substitute red chili powder.

How To Make Spinach Pakora

To prepare spinach pakoras, you’ll need to create a batter by mixing besan flour, rice flour, baking soda, carom seeds, asafoetida, salt, and black pepper with water. This batter should have a thick, paste-like consistency. The spinach leaves are then dipped into this batter, coated evenly, and then you deep fry them until they turn golden brown and crispy.

Add besan flour, rice flour, and spices to a mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center and add 1 tablespoon oil. Mix to combine well.

Add water and use whisk to make a smooth, thick batter. Add water a little bit at a time.  I like to do half a cup at a time.  The quality and age of the besan may impact the amount of water needed.

 Add chopped green chilies and mix.

Pour batter over spinach leaves and mix until well coated with pakora batter.  Add baking soda and mix once more.  Cover and let sit 10 minutes.  

Place enough oil in a deep frying pan for frying.  Once oil is hot. Place a small batch of the spinach leaves covered in batter in clumps in the hot oil. The flatter you can keep the batch, the crispier the pakora will be.

Let cook 1 minute then flip.  Let cook another 1 minute and flip.  Finally let it fry 1 more minute before removing pakora with a slotted spoon.  Place pakora on a paper towel lined plate to help absorb excess oil.

Serve warm with chutney and chai!

How To Serve

➜Spinach pakoras are often served hot and can be accompanied by various chutneys or sauces for dipping 

➜Sprinkle a bit of chaat masala to add a delicious flavor and finishing touch

➜ They also taste great with a cup of piping hot up of tea as a tea time snack!  From an Oat Milk Masala Chai to Iced Chai or Chocolate Chai, Rose Chai, Biscoff Chai, and Mint Chai – there are many options to consider.

Chutney Pairing

I think these taste great with this no cook garlic chutney.

Other great chutneys to serve with palak pakoda are ​green chutney, tamarind chutney, and mint chutney.

Although it’s not a chutney, kids love them with ketchup!

Variations

➜Add thinly sliced onions for spinach onion pakora.

➜Mix up spices by adding 1 teaspoon cumin coriander powder and/or ½ teaspoon garam masala or a ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder

Tried this spinach pakora recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment & star rating telling me how it was! If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you! Thank you!