These Crispy Baked Onion Pakodas (Fritters) are a healthier alternative to the widely loved monsoon snack and taste almost like the fried version! They're super crispy and are addictive so you can binge on without the guilt of eating greasy food!
I had a deal with myself. Imma gonna stay away from pakodas all monsoon. Because they are an addiction, the kind which makes you put on lots of weight so you don't fit into your pants anymore. But ahem, the food blogger in me was urging me (forcefully, I may add) to give you monsoon snacks. I almost gave in. But resisted enough to bring to you not fried, but these super crispy BAKED onion pakodas or fritters or bhajiyas or whatever you like to call them!
And now we can safely stuff our face with them. They are almost like the real deal. I say almost because they get super crisp in the oven and all brown around the edges etc. but just take slightly longer which means you and I have to wait. But that's okay right? We can have an extra cup of chai while we wait. Because that's what we do - eat onion pakodas and have a cup of chai or two. All day long.
Honestly I was a bit nervous about sharing this recipe. Because some of you may just laugh in my face. I mean this goes against all rules right? Pakodas have to be fried. But the fried kinds make me real fat. And I don't like that. Neither do you. Which is why we need to take a step in this direction. It's the right direction folks, trust me.
I'm going to share all my secrets to making the best pakodas in the oven and then you and I will never have to go back to the fried kinds. Liar.
It's actually pretty simple. You just need to know 3 things to get them right:
- Use thinly sliced veggies. I actually spiralized (Buy a spiralizer here) my onions so that I get them super duper thin. That ways they cook faster and crisp up real nice.
- Use a mixture of besan (chickpea flour) and rice flour. The chickpea flour binds nicely and the rice flour adds extra crispness.
- Be patient. Because this takes about 22 minutes in the oven. But it's all worth it.
This baked kind will not work with juicy veggies like tomatoes but I can totally see some capsicum, corn, chilli pakodas in my future and maybe yours, if you all are nice to me.
Dunk this in tomato ketchup or Green Coriander Chutney
If you end up trying these out, tag @my_foodstory on Instagram and share your delicious pictures with me. And for more party food inspiration, follow my appetizers board on Pinterest!
More Crispy Baked (Fried) Snacks:
- Paneer Pakora Recipe
- Vegetable Pakoras
- Crispy Veg Nuggets with Sichuan Sauce
- 14 Diwali Snack Recipes that will light up your Diwali Party
Crispy Baked Onion Pakodas (Fritters)
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 Onions large , spiralized or sliced thinly
- ½ cup Chickpea Flour Besan
- ¼ cup Rice Flour
- 2 tablespoons Oil + Extra for brushing
- 2 Green Chillies finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ½ cup Water +1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 200C. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or greased parchment paper.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl till there are no lumps. The batter might be slightly runny which is okay. It should just about coat the onions.
- Take a tablespoonful of onion batter at a time, shaking off any dripping batter and place them on the sheet at equal distance.
- Bake in the oven for 22 minutes till cooked through and the top is golden brown. Half way through, at about 15 minutes, brush the pakodas with oil and continue baking.
- Serve immediately with ketchup and coriander chutney. Storing these onion pakodas for later makes them soggy so eat immediately. Which is not a problem if you like to stuff your face like me.
Notes
- Use thinly sliced veggies. I actually spiralized (Buy a spiralizer here) my onions so that I get them super duper thin. That ways they cook faster and crisp up real nice.
- Use a mixture of besan (chickpea flour) and rice flour. The chickpea flour binds nicely and the rice flour adds extra crispness.
- This takes about 22 minutes in the oven at 200C. The time may vary depending on the capacity of your oven.Â
Anika Shree says
Wow! Such an amazing recipe for crispy onion pakodasss. Rn I'm literally hungry and this is making me more. Thanks to the author for sharing this yummm blog with us.
PRIYA KARKHANIS says
This is happening out on the deck this weekend. Cool weather, hot masala chai, and crispy bhajia!
Richa says
Sounds fantastic