Cauliflower Pakora (Gobi ke Pakode)

golden brown cauliflower pakora with green chutney on the side

5 from 1 vote

Cauliflower Pakora (Gobi ke Pakode)

These golden-brown, crisp cauliflower pakora are coated in an Indian-style spiced batter. They make a wonderful appetizer or snack to share when paired with green chutney or ketchup.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Keyword: cauliflower fritters, cauliflower pakora, gobi ke pakode, gobi pakora

Diet: Gluten-free, Vegan

Method: Stovetop

Servings:

Author: Meeta Arora

Ingredients

3 cup Cauliflower cut into thin florets
Oil for frying

Spices for cauliflower

1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1/2 teaspoon Chaat Masala

For Gram Batter

1 cup Gram flour (Besan)
1/2 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
1/2 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder adjust to taste
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
1/2 teaspoon Chaat masala
1/3 cup Water plus more as needed to make the batter

For serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a bowl, add all the batter ingredients including besan and spices. Add little water as needed to make a thick flowing batter. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes. (See notes if you have less time)
Separate cauliflower to florets. Cut them into large flat florets. Don't chop them too small. Sprinkle the spices for cauliflower - salt, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin powder and chaat masala. Mix well.
Heat oil in a kadai or deep fryer on medium-high flame. You can use any neutral tasting oil with a high smoking point.
Take each cauliflower floret and dip in the batter evenly to coat each side. Add them carefully in the medium hot oil.
Stir the pakoras and take them out on a plate when they are half done, and about yellow in color. Press each pakora with the bottom of a flat bowl. Then transfer them back to the frying pan.
This helps to make sure the pakoras cook well from inside, and also makes them crunchier.
Fry till the cauliflower fritters are golden and crisp on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to turn them few times while they cook evenly.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the pakoras and transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain excess oil.
Serve the gobi pakora hot or warm with Indian green chutney or tomato ketchup. Sprinkle some chaat masala, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Batter Pro-tip: In case you are in a hurry, and don't have time to let the batter rest, add a pinch of baking soda to the batter. This will make the pakoras crunchy.

Rice flour: Traditionally, the batter is made with only gram flour. However you can add 1-2 tablespoons of rice flour as this makes the pakoras crunchy, while keeping them gluten-free.

Batter consistency: Make a thick flowing consistency batter. If the batter is too thin, it will absorb too much oil while frying. If the batter is too thick, then the pakoras will be doughy and won't taste as good.

Spicing the potatoes: This step is optional, but I find the pakoras are even tastier with the extra spices.

Nutrition