Oats Onion Pakora
- 20 min prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- Serves 4
- 270 kcal
- 6.9 g protein
Thin onion slices, quick oats and a little besan, fried into lacy, crunchy pakoras. Rain and chai optional. An air-fryer version is included for weeknights.
Ingredients
- 3 medium onions (300 g), thinly sliced
- 1 cup (90 g) quick oats
- ½ cup (45 g) besan (gram flour)
- 2 tbsp (20 g) rice flour, for extra crunch
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 8-10 curry leaves, torn
- 1 tsp ajwain, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ¼ tsp turmeric
- Salt, to taste
- 3-4 tbsp (45-60 ml) water, only as needed
- Oil for deep-frying (about 3 tbsp is absorbed)
Method
- 1Separate the onion slices into strands and put them in a large bowl with the chillies, ginger, coriander, curry leaves, spices and salt. Mix with your fingers and leave for 10 minutes so the onions release their juice.
- 2Add the quick oats, besan and rice flour and squeeze everything together. The onion juice should do most of the binding.
- 3Sprinkle in water a tablespoon at a time, just until the mixture clumps when pressed. It should be a thick, shaggy mass, not a batter. Rest for 5 minutes.
- 4Heat oil in a kadai on medium-high. It is ready when a pinch of the mixture rises to the top within 2 seconds.
- 5Drop small, loose clusters into the oil without packing them. Fry 6-8 at a time, turning occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until deep golden and crisp all over.
- 6Lower the heat slightly if they brown too fast; the centre needs time to cook. Lift out with a slotted spoon, drain on a rack and serve straight away.
Notes from the Department
- Air fryer: shape small flattish clusters, spray generously with oil and cook at 190°C for 12-14 minutes, turning once. Less lacy, still crunchy.
- Shallow-fry: flatten clusters into thin discs and cook in 3-4 tbsp oil on a tawa, 3 minutes a side.
- Mix the oats in just before frying. Left too long, they go soft and the pakoras lose their crunch.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 6.9 g
- Carbohydrate
- 34 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5.3 g
- Sugars
- 4.8 g
Why this works
Classic onion pakoda is mostly besan. Here, quick oats carry most of the load. They cling to the onion strands, absorb the juice salt pulls out, and fry up into a craggy, lacy crunch. A little besan keeps the familiar flavour and a spoon of rice flour makes the edges shatter. Because the mixture is barely wet, the pakoras take on less oil than a runny batter would.
The key is restraint with water. Let the onions sweat first, add the dry ingredients, and only then add water drop by drop. A thick, shaggy mixture fries crisp. A wet batter fries heavy.
Swaps
Add a handful of shredded cabbage, spinach or grated potato with the onion. Rolled oats work; crush them lightly in your hand first. This recipe skips hing, which usually contains wheat, so with certified gluten-free oats it is suitable for a gluten-free plate. For no onion, use thin potato or raw banana slices with the same coating, though you will need a splash more water.
Serving and storage
Pakoras are best eaten within minutes, with green chutney, ketchup and masala chai. Fry a few slit green chillies in the same oil and salt them for the side. Leftovers soften but revive in an air fryer at 180°C for 3-4 minutes. We do not recommend making the mixture ahead; the oats go limp.
Questions people ask
- Can I make pakoras with only oats and no besan?
- Yes. Use about 1½ cups quick oats and a little extra rice flour. The pakoras will be crunchier and less dense, with a milder flavour.
- Why are my oats pakoras soggy?
- Usually too much water or oil that is not hot enough. Keep the mixture thick and fry at a steady medium-high heat.
- Can I make oats pakora in an air fryer?
- Yes. Make small flat clusters, spray with oil and air-fry at 190°C for 12-14 minutes, turning once. They will be crisp but less airy than deep-fried.
Inspired by Dassana's Veg Recipes. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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