Chicken Pakora with Creamy Coconut Dip
Crispy chicken pakora made with besan (chickpea flour) and packed with spices that deliver a medley of flavors that takes fried chicken to another level!
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 614kcal
Ingredients
- 6-8 boneless chicken thighs
Chicken Marinade
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely minced, or grated)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (finely minced, or grated)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (approx. half a lemon)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder (add more if you like it spicier)
- 20 curry leaves (chopped)
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
Chicken Pakora Batter
- 1 egg
- 5 tablespoons potato starch (or corn starch)
- 1 cup chickpea flour (besan/gram flour)
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoon water
Coconut Dip (Optional)
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup (or 1 ½ tablespoon honey)
- ½ tablespoon lime juice (approx. ½ a lime)
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced, or grated)
- 1 tablespoon dried unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ teaspoon onion seeds (optional)
Instructions
Chicken Pakoras - Preparation
- Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces and put it in a large bowl
- Slice 1 onion and add it to the bowl
- Add 1 ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon turmeric, 20 curry leaves (roughly chopped), 4 cloves garlic (finely minced) and 1 tablespoon ginger (finely minced or grated) into the bowl
- Add 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 tablespoons fish sauce into the bowl
- Mix well and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Chicken Pakoras - Deep Frying
- When you are ready to start cooking the chicken, add 1 egg, 5 tablespoons potato starch (or cornstarch), 1 cup chickpea flour, and ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoon water into the bowl with the chicken (including the marinade and sliced onions) and mix until the batter is a thick consistency. You want the batter to stick to the chicken and onions. If the batter is too runny- add some more chickpea flour 1 tablespoon at a time, if the batter is too dry and hard to mix - add in water 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Pre-heat oil to 350F (176C). If you are doing it on a stove-top, set the oil to medium heat.
- Add in the chicken mixture into the oil gently, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, careful to not overcrowd else it will drop the temperature of the oil. (Note: Try to refrain from making too big of a spoonful of chicken. I use a ¼ cup to measure out the chicken. If your pakoras are too big the middle will not cook through and the outside will come out burnt.)
- Cook for approximately 8 minutes.
- Enjoy fresh with the coconut dip!
Coconut Dip (Optional)
- Combine ½ cup coconut cream, ½ teaspoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey), 1 clove garlic (finely minced), and ½ tablespoon lime juice, together in a small bowl and enjoy with pakoras!
- (Optional) Adding ½ tsp of onion seeds adds a bit more spice and flavor to the dip.
Notes
Chicken Pakoras
- I highly recommend using dark meat for this recipe, for a juicier and more flavorful chicken pakora.
- The batter should be thick. The chicken and onions should be able to clump together easily. If the batter is too runny, add more chickpea flour, 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the batter is thick. If it is too thick and hard to mix then add water 1 tablespoon at a time until it is easy to mix but still thick enough that the chicken and onions can clump together.
- I highly recommend marinating this overnight but if you're in a rush you could marinate it for a minimum of 4 hours.
Coconut Dip
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of water or milk to thin out the dip if it is too thick.
- Add additional dried unsweetened shredded coconut to give the dip a bit more texture and thicken it.
- Chilling this dip in the fridge will make it thicker before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 614kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 27g | Sodium: 1213mg | Sugar: 11g