Chicken Pakora (Crispy and Light Fritters)

A crunchy exterior: those crispy edges are what give pakoras their oomph!

Tender insides: when you bite into a pakora, the meat should still be moist and soft, not tough or stringy.

Lots of flavour: a pakora is not meant to be bland. Period.

Light and fluffy: who wants to eat dense and heavy pakoras, pray?

Chicken: This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken cubes. I used chicken breasts, but you can absolutely go with chicken thighs, if you prefer darker meat. Thighs also have the inherent advantage of being more moist and juicy to start with.

Oil for deep frying: You can use any neutral oil like canola or sunflower. I have not specified the quantity of the oil in the recipe card, but you will need approximately 3-4 cups, depending on the size of your pan.

Gramflour or Besan: This is a gluten-free flour and much healthier than all-purpose flour. It is used in a wide variety of Indian recipes and is easily found in Indian stores. This is the go-to flour for making any kind of fritters in Indian cooking.

Cornflour: Ah, cornflour! You mustn't skip this, as this is the ingredient when combined with besan makes for that crispy exterior.

Spices: Red chilli, turmeric, and cumin are pretty regular, but chaat masala may be new for some people, especially if they are not familiar with Indian cooking. Chaat masala is a blend of many spices and has a characteristic tangy flavour. It is available easily in Indian and Pakistani stores, and even hypermarkets like Walmart in their international aisle.

Baking soda: Contributes to making the pakoras light and fluffy.

Sea salt: Since you will be brining your chicken, you don't need as much because the chicken is already salted. You definitely need to keep this in mind. That said, do not go to the other extreme and skimp on the salt. Less salt is usually the culprit when it comes to bland tasting meat.

Ginger and garlic pastes: You can mince your own or use the store-bought, bottled ones. I usually have a batch of homemade ginger-garlic paste lying around in my fridge, but I was flat out when I was making these pakoras, so I used the bottled versions. You don't need a lot anyway.

Finely chopped green chillies and cilantro (coriander leaves): To be honest, they're not strictly necessary but they do add to the flavour quotient. It's nice to have a bit of heat from the green chillies in your mouth as you're eating the pakoras.

Water (for making the batter): You need about ¼ cup water to start with, then more as needed.

Brine the chicken as outlined above under 'Brining'.

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.

Mince the ginger and garlic if making at home. Peel both and put in a small blender along with a few tablespoons water. You can grind them separately or together for convenience. Use the amounts mentioned in the recipe and store the excess in a small bottle or jar with a tight lid and keep in the refrigerator.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl except the oil, chicken and water.

Add about ¼ cup cold water (not warm) to start with and whisk to form a smooth paste. You will need to add more water, but add it in very small amounts (a tablespoon at a time) since you DON'T want a runny batter. It should be thick enough to coat the chicken pieces as shown below.

Add the chicken pieces to the batter, making sure all the pieces get coated evenly.

Put a deep and heavy-bottomed wok or karahi on the stove-top and crank up the heat to high. Add the oil and allow it to become hot, but not smoking hot.

Once the oil is hot, use a pair of tongs to slide in the chicken pieces very carefully.

Allow the chicken to cook for 6-8 minutes. Try not to move it around too much, especially in the first 2 or 3 minutes.

Take the chicken out with a big slotted spoon onto some absorbent kitchen paper. It should be cooked through and golden-brown on the outside.

Serve immediately with a sauce of your choice.

The ratio for the besan and cornflour is 2:1. If you remember this ratio, you won't go wrong with the quantities.

The batter for coating the chicken should be thick and not runny, as mentioned above. This is important, because if the batter is runny, the pakoras will become soggy.

Fry the chicken in hot oil. if it is not hot enough, the chicken pieces will absorb a lot of oil and will not be crispy. If it is smoking hot, the chicken will brown on the outside too quickly and remain under-cooked inside. Important to strike a balance!

Do a test run before cooking a whole batch of chicken. Slide in only one piece at first in the hot oil. The oil should sizzle and the piece of chicken should rise to the top. Let it fry until it is golden-brown on all sides, then do a taste test. If everything is fine (salt, seasonings), go ahead and fry the rest of the meat.

Don't crowd the wok with too many pieces at one time, or the oil temperature will fall. Fry in small batches for best results. I used to disregard this tip when I was new to deep-frying, but it does make a lot of difference, so be patient!

Finally, do not make the batter with the chicken in advance. I know it's convenient to prep things before actually cooking them, but in this case, if the batter sits on the countertop or fridge for too long, the chicken will release its juices and the batter will become runny...not something you want.