Palak Pakora

You’ll love these crispy Palak Pakora, crispy and flavorful spinach fritters, best enjoyed with a cup of hot tea!

In this Post:

• Why you’ll love this recipe
• Ingredients you need
• How to make Palak Pakora?
• Recipe Tips
• What to serve with Palak Pakora?
• More Easy Snack Recipes

If you’re looking for a hot and crispy snack, a few things are nearly as perfect as pakoras.

Pakoras, bhajis, or fritters are the best way to enjoy any vegetable. Whether it be aloo pakora, onion bhaji or palak pakore, you won’t be able to resist these with a cup of tea!

While palak chicken or aloo palak may be a healthier way to consume spinach, these palak pakoras are still a delicious way to eat your spinach!

Why you’ll love this recipe

These palak pakoras are the best way to use up any fresh spinach!

You will love them because they’re:

• crispy on the outside thanks to besan (gram flour)
• flavorful with a simple blend of spices
• made with only a few ingredients
• ready in under 30 minutes!

They are one of the most addictive appetizers. We never have leftovers, for sure!

Recipes you’ll love

If you’re looking for more easy appetizer recipes, here are some of our favorites:

• Aloo Pakora – Sliced Potato Fritters
• Batata Vada
• Gobi 65: Cauliflower in Chili-Garlic Sauce
• Khaman Dhokla: Savory Gram Flour Cake

Ingredients & Notes

• Chana atta / Besan / Gram Flour – this is a flour made from the gram chickpea, found in many Asian stores. It adds an earthy, nutty flavor to the pakoras.
• Spinach – fresh spinach or baby works best for this recipe.
• Spices – Coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder – these complement the spinach
• Oil – The aloo pakora is deep fried – we typically use canola or vegetable oil for deep frying.

How to make Palak Pakora?

In a large pan, add oil and heat on medium heat.

While the oil is heating up, in a bowl, add besan (chickpea flour) along with the spices – coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well.

Add green chili if using (optional), add the chopped spinach, and mix gently with a spoon.

Add water in small quantities and mix well. Add enough water to get a thick batter.

Once the oil is hot, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil. The oil will start to bubble as soon as the batter hits the hot oil.

Fry till golden brown.

Enjoy with green chutney, red chili sauce or tamarind/date chutney.

Recipe Tips

• You can adjust the consistency of the batter as needed. If the batter is thin, wait a few minutes, and if it is still too thin, add a little besan; if its too thick, add water.
• For crispy pakoras, ensure the oil is at the right temperature. If the oil is not hot enough, the pakoras will absorb too much oil, and if the oil is too hot, the pakoras will burn.
• To test the temperature of the oil, place the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. If the oil bubbles around the spoon, it is hot enough and ready for frying.
• Palak Pakora is best enjoyed when it is hot and fresh.
• To keep the aloo pakoras fresh, if not serving immediately:
  • Turn on the oven on low heat (250ºF to 300ºF) and leave it on a tray uncovered.
  • Make sure not to cover the pakoras, as steam will make them soggy.   

What to serve with Palak Pakora?

You’ll want to dip these palak pakoras in some green chutney, tamarind (imli) chutney or your favorite hot sauce!

Palak Pakora is the perfect snack with steaming cup of karak chai or adrak (ginger) chai.

Recipes you’ll love

If you’re looking for more delicious recipes that pair well with your chai, here are some of our favorites:

• Nankhatai: Cardamom Shortbread Cookies
• Chicken Puffs: Pakistani Style Chicken Patties
• Pinwheel Chutney Sandwich
• Methi Thepla

If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess