The most deliciously easy recipe to make for Iftar this year!

These chicken pakoras take just 30 minutes to make (unless you want to go the extra mile and marinate for a while), and are perfect for this Ramadan season or any season for that matter.

Try them with my Cilantro Chutney for a mouth watering experience!

For the most flavorful chicken:

Let the chicken pieces marinate in the spices (without besan and corn starch) for 30 minutes to a few hours, or even overnight in the refrigerator. This will allow the flavors to really penetrate the chicken from within.

Feel free to use as much or as little red chili powder as you’d like. I use 1 tbsp myself, but love to add 2 or even 3 sometimes for an intense spicy flavor. Use 1/2 tbsp for regular amount of spice.

You can also use a tbsp of yogurt to replace some of the milk during the marination process for some extra tang.

You can refrigerate/freeze any leftover raw chicken for later.

I like to store the mixture in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and fry a little bit everyday.

To freeze, just throw your chicken mixture into a ziplock bag, move them around a little so they’re not all clumped together and slightly separate the pieces in the bag. Lay on a flat surface in your freezer for the first few hours so they freeze in place. This way you can take out as many pieces as you’d like to defrost later.

You can watch the full process in this video!

INGREDIENTS  

• 1.5 lbs boneless chicken breast/thigh (cut into small pieces)
• 1/2-1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp gorom mosholla/garam masala
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala powder (optional)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Dash of black pepper
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 2 tsp ketchup
• 2 tsp mustard oil
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 3-5 green chilis (finely sliced/minced)
• 2 tbsp milk (+1 tbsp for batter if needed)
• 2/3 cup besan (gram flour)
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• vegetable/peanut/canola oil for deep frying

INSTRUCTIONS (Pictures coming soon!)

Wash and pat dry your chicken with a paper towel. Then cut into small pieces.

Add in all the seasoning except besan and cornflour. Mix everything well, massaging the spices into the chicken.

You can marinate this in the fridge for 30 minutes-overnight, or just follow the next step.

Add in your besan and corn starch. Mix well, it might be a little tough to get it mixed but keep going, the batter should look really thick which is what you want. Add a tbsp of milk if you really need to.

Heat your oil on medium high. Check if its hot by placing in a little piece, it should start bubbling up immediately.

Then gently place the chicken pieces into the pan. Do not overcrowd, fry in batches.

Flip them over after a bit, and fry for about 6 to 8 minutes until nice and golden brown, flipping them a couple times as needed.

Strain on a wire rack or paper towel, and serve hot!