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
Tammy says
What type of green chilies do you recommend using
Richa says
If you live in India, use the small thin green chillies and if you live outside India, try Serrano peppers or Jalapenos
Tammy says
What type of green chili’s do you use?
Serrano, jalapeños or canned green chilies? Or something else?
Fadia says
Hi I was wondering why there are no spices in this recipe
Richa says
You don't really need them
Smita Singh says
Loved the idea of baked pakoras. I am trying it tomorrow and will then comment on the result. Have been searching for a long time for a recipe of baked pakoras. Thank you 🙂 🙂 🙂
Richa says
Thank you!
Anausyah pather says
I used cornflour instead. It didnt cookninstide in 22mins so I popped them into the airfryer for an additional 5mins. Perfect crispy and tasty.
Thankyou
Sasha says
Delicious! I added more water, maybe I had a different type of flour. I baked them on a silicone baking sheet and they were perfect and crispy. Thanks!
Richa says
Sooo glad Sasha!
Mary Pogge says
I'm sorry but I don't know how to convert 200C for the oven temperature to Fahrenheit for my American oven. Please?
Mary
Richa says
Google should help you with that 🙂
James Strange says
Thank you for posting this recipe I love pakodas but am trying to limit fried foods.
Patty says
You make me laugh, & yes I WILL try some of your recipes!
Richa says
Awww thanks Patty!
anon says
Three white onions are too many for the batter. I used 1.5 onions and it wasn't coating them still. I have no idea how others managed to replicate this
Richa Gupta says
Sorry, these onion pakodas didn't turn out as expected for you. We made a thin batter to lightly coat the onions and get the crispy outer layer.
Linda says
Richa, I'm confused about how much water to add! The recipe reads 1/2 + 1 cup tablespoon of water? I'm sure that it's a typo, but leaves me at a total loss for how much water to actually use. Help, please! Linda
Richa says
Ugh! I'm so so sorry about that typo. I've fixed it - its 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water
Pari says
Unfortunately mine didn’t not cook in 22 mins instead took about 40 mins and I had to raise the temperature to 350 after the first 10 mins
CookinChica says
Your blog made me laugh. Sadly my pakoras did not come out crispy enough so I shall be frying them later. They look great though. I fear that frying really is the only way for some things.....
Richa says
I'm sorry they didn't come out crispy enough. Sometimes oven temperatures can vary. Maybe try baking them a little longer? And glad I made you laugh 🙂
Abe says
Tried them and loved them. I have a question, what’s the difference between pakoras and bhajjis?
Richa says
They are the same thing - just different names
brijesh says
Amazing recipe thank you somuch
Richa says
Glad you liked it!
Richa Gupta says
Thanks Sunila, I hope it works this time 🙂
Sunila says
Thank i very much fr your promt reply