Ready for pure spicy happiness? That’s chilli pakora, an Indian spicy appetizer featuring a deep-fried green chili, and, in this instance, one stuffed with a delicious potato stuffing. Try it as either a starter or simply as a delicious exotic snack.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | A crisp, nutty chickpea batter around a fresh green chili, with a warmly spiced potato filling of cumin, turmeric, coriander and garam masala. |
| Primary heat source | The green chili itself, plus red chili powder in both the batter and the filling. |
| Heat level | Mild to hot. It depends on the chili you stuff and the chili powder you pick. |
| Texture | Crunchy outside, with a soft potato filling and a tender pepper in between. |
| Best uses | An appetizer or party snack, or a teatime treat with a cup of chai. |
| Customization ideas | Paprika, cayenne or Thai chili powder for different heat levels, or paneer and peas in the filling. |
| Before you start | About 50 minutes. You’ll need a deep pot and a thermometer for the frying oil. |
Flavor notes
In this recipe, the spiciness comes from both the fresh chili used and a decent helping of red chili powder. You can move up or down the pepper scale by being specific about the chili powder used. Opt for a mild paprika for a less spicy evening. Cayenne pepper (or a hot paprika) brings a certain pop to the dish. Or move right up to crushed Thai pepper for some serious extra kick.
The green chili matters just as much. Large, mild green chilies are the classic choice for pakoras like these, since they’re big enough to hold a good amount of filling, and in the US, Anaheim peppers (500 to 2,500 Scoville heat units) or banana peppers work well. Scrape out the seeds and pale ribs, and most of the pepper’s own heat goes with them.
The batter is made with garbanzo bean flour, which you’ll also see sold as besan or gram flour at Indian grocers. It fries up crisp with a slightly nutty flavor. The carom seeds, also called ajwain, add a sharp, thyme-like note that’s typical of pakora batter.
Hing, or asafoetida, has a strong, pungent smell straight from the jar. It goes into the hot oil first with the cumin seeds, and it mellows into a savory, onion-like flavor once it’s cooked. And a little goes a long way, so if you’re new to it, you may want to start with less.
Keep the frying oil at about 350°F. If it’s too cool, the batter soaks up oil and turns greasy, and if it’s too hot, the outside browns before the filling has warmed through. So fry just a few at a time, and you’ll keep the temperature from dropping too much between batches.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the heat, or what goes inside.
- Want it milder? Use banana peppers and plain paprika in both the batter and the filling.
- Want more heat? Leave some of the ribs in the chilies, or use crushed Thai pepper in place of the red chili powder.
- Want a richer filling? Stir some crumbled paneer or a handful of cooked peas into the potato mixture.
- Short on time? Use leftover boiled potatoes. Lightly mash them, then fry them with the spices for a few minutes.
- Want them extra crisp? Add a tablespoon of rice flour to the batter.
Serving ideas
Serve them hot, while the batter’s still at its crispiest.
- With green chutney. A fresh, herby chutney is a natural partner for anything fried in chickpea batter.
- With tamarind chutney. The sweet and sour flavor plays well against the spiced potato and green chili.
- With chai. As a teatime snack, the way pakoras are often eaten in India.
- As a party appetizer. Cut into halves or thirds, so they’re easy to pick up and share.
Storage notes
These are best eaten fresh out of the oil, since the batter softens as it cools. You can make the potato filling a day ahead and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge, which leaves you with just the stuffing, battering and frying to do when you’re ready to eat.
If you do have leftover pakoras, refrigerate them and use them within three to four days. Reheat them in a 375°F oven or an air fryer until they’re hot and crisp again, since the microwave will leave them soggy.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Spicy Green Chutney: Coriander chutney with a kick, the go-to dip for Indian appetizers like these.
- Aloo Tikki With Date And Tamarind Chutney: Spicy potato fritters from northern Indian street food, with a hot, sweet and sour chutney.
- Daltjie Chili Bites: South African chili bites made from a chickpea flour batter, crunchy and fiery.
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Chilli Pakora
Ingredients
- 5-6 large green chili peppers such as Anaheim or banana peppers, slit open lengthwise, with membrane and seeds removed
- vegetable oil for frying
For the batter:
- 1 cup garbanzo bean flour also sold as besan or gram flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds also called ajwain
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder paprika, cayenne, Thai
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the potato stuffing:
- 3 potatoes medium-sized, peeled and chopped into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder paprika, cayenne, Thai all work, depending on your spice tolerance
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the potato stuffing
- In a frying pan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil, then add the cumin seeds, hing, ground turmeric, and potatoes. Stir often while cooking the potatoes. Add salt and pepper to the potatoes while cooking for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the red chili powder of your choice, ground coriander, sugar, garam masala, and lime juice. Stir the potato stuffing to fully coat the potatoes and finish softening to the potatoes. Then remove from heat.
Stuff the chili peppers
- Slit each chili pepper lengthwise down one side, leaving the stem on, and remove the membrane and seeds.
- Stuff the chili peppers with the potato stuffing.
Make the batter
- In a large bowl, combine the garbanzo bean flour, chili powder, carom seeds, salt, and water. Stir to incorporate all of the ingredients into a batter. Add more water as needed to loosen the batter to a consistency that can be used for coating.
Make the chilli pakora
- Heat enough vegetable oil in a deep pot to fully submerge the chili peppers, to about 350°F.
- Dip each stuffed chili pepper into the batter, fully coating it.
- Place the coated chili pepper into the oil and fry it until it’s golden brown, turning as needed. Fry just a few at a time so the oil stays hot.
- Remove the chili pepper from the oil and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Then repeat the process with the additional stuffed chili peppers.
- Serve.
Notes
Mild: Paprika (use generic paprika, not hot paprika)
Medium: Cayenne pepper powder (or hot paprika)
Hot: Thai pepper powder Hing is strong. If you’re new to it, start with less and add more next time.
