The first time I tasted Chicken Pakoras was about ten years ago, my sister had been visiting family outside of London and there was a local restaurant that had this dish on their menu. Of course when she returned home she had to bring back a batch for us to taste. It was awesome because they tasted like Pakoras but were so chicken-y! It never occurred to me to try making Chicken Pakoras, yes they were nice and something different to the bog standard Pakoras we were used to, but I wasn’t as keen on cooking back then as I am now. Yes, I’ve discovered cooking doesn’t have to be tedious and can be fun; running a food page has certainly inspired me to reconnect with the side of me that enjoys cooking and wants to experiment with food. The very first time I attempted this recipe (several years ago) I looked online for some guidance but couldn’t find much and so just went with my own instincts and used besan powder (gram/chickpea flour) and whole spices just like I did for my normal vegetable Pakoras. While they tasted nice, I didn’t like the end result much because I found they didn’t taste chicken-y enough, they just tasted like normal Pakoras and the whole spices (cumin and coriander seeds) overpowered the taste of the chicken. This time around I adjusted the recipe and shazam, perfection!

The batter for this recipe needs to be light in order for the dominant taste to remain that of the chicken. This is the reason why I used very little rice flour, which doesn’t taste of much and just a small amount of besan powder. The corn flour is something you may be able to replace with plain flour but I personally think it adds crispiness to the Pakoras without absorbing a lot of oil. As always if you want to add other vegetables like peppers, spinach etc…you may, but adjust the quantities of everything else accordingly. This has been a huge hit with my own family and extended family who have had the opportunity to taste it. Here’s hoping it’s a huge hit for you too.

You will need: for Chicken Pakoras

700g boneless chicken, washed and drained
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/3 of a bunch of coriander
1.5 large onions OR 2 small onions
3 dried chillies OR 3 green chillies
2 tbsp cornflour
1/3 cup rice flour
1/3 cup besan powder (gram/chickpea flour)
water as needed

Method:

Start by measuring all your dry spices; 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and 1/2 tsp cumin powder. This makes it easier adding the ingredients later on when your hands are messy without soiling your clean jars.

Peel and chop 1.5 large onions OR chop 2 small onions.

Finely chop 1/3 of a bunch of coriander. Crush or blitz in a food processor 3 dried chillies, alternatively use fresh green chillies if you aren’t able to get hold of dried ones.

Dice your boneless chicken, keep the pieces fairly large as shown in the photo as this will help keep your chicken tender/moist on the inside. Place all the diced chicken into a large mixing bowl.

Add 2 tbsp of cornflour and coat the chicken pieces using your hand.

Add 1/3 cup of rice flour, followed by 1/3 cup of besan powder. I sift my besan powder as I find storage creates a lot of lumps in the flour.

Add the crushed dried chillies, spices, onion and coriander.

Mix the dry ingredients by hand. Add water a little at a time till you can feel all the ingredients have become moist and ever so slightly wet, you want to avoid adding too much water as the pakoras won’t bind together otherwise.

The bottom photo shows you what the finished pakora mixture should look like. The ingredients will look like they won’t hold together when you fry them, but trust me when you drop them into the hot oil they hold together really well.

Heat a deep pan with oil. Take a small amount of pakora mixture and when the oil is hot, carefully drop in. You’ll need to press the ingredients together as you drop them into the oil but once they start frying they will become firm. Fry for about 10 minutes over a medium – high flame to ensure the centre of each pakora cooks through properly, turn the pakoras during frying to ensure even browning. I’ve shown you a close up of what the mixture looks like (bottom left photo) before frying. Drain the cooked pakoras on tissue paper.

Serve your hot Chicken Pakoras with a sweet chilli sauce or green chutney, be sure to eat one yourself before they disappear!

Bon Appétit!!

If you like the recipe please share with friends and family, also follow me on Facebook and Instagram. Questions? Leave a comment below or message me on Facebook.