Zucchini Pakoda

5 from 11 votes

Crispy Zucchini Pakoda are Indian style Zucchini Fritters which are crispy, healthy and easy to make. An awesome variation for regular Onion Pakoda.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword indian zucchini fritters, zucchini pakoda, zuchhini pakora

Diet Gluten-Free, Vegan

Method Stovetop

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 90kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini shredded, (about 1 cup)
3-4 tablespoons besan (gram flour) (or chickpea flour)
1 tablespoon rice flour for crispness
1 teaspoon ginger grated
2 green chilies finely chopped
½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon garam masala (or chaat masala)
2 tablespoons coriander leaves
salt to taste
oil for frying
1 pinch chaat masala to sprinkle

Instructions

Grate the zucchini along with its skin, then squeeze out any excess water from it. This water can be used in curries or soups for added flavor.
You'll get approximately 1 cup of shredded zucchini from 1 medium-sized zucchini.
Add all ingredients except rice flour and besan to a large mixing bowl. Mix everything well gently.
The zucchini would have released some more moisture. Furthermore, add besan and rice flour to the mixture and mix well until it reaches a stiff consistency. Be careful not to make the batter too runny.
Note: Do not add any extra water. The moisture from the zucchini will help bind all the ingredients together. If the batter is still thick, drizzle some water and mix again.
If the batter is too runny, add an extra one to two tablespoons of besan (or chickpea flour), to thicken it slightly.
Do not add any extra water. The moisture from the zucchini will help bind all the ingredients together. If the batter is still thick, drizzle some water and mix again.
Note: Add extra 1-2 tablespoons of besan if the batter is soggy but also keep in mind not to make very thick pakoda batter.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan or kadai over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, take small portions of the zucchini batter using your fingers or a spoon and carefully drop them into the hot oil.
Fry them till they are golden brown in color and crisp, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Once done, remove the fried pakoras using a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve Zucchini (Courgette) pakoda with ketchup and masala tea.

Notes

Tips

Since zucchini has a high water content, Do not let the zucchini pakora batter sit for a too long after preparation. Fry it right away. The batter can become runny and affect the texture and flavor of the pakodas.
Add extra 1-2 tablespoons of besan if the batter gets soggy.
If you don't have rice flour at home, substitute it with the same amount of cornstarch or fine semolina (sooji), or you can totally skip it.
Make sure to fry the pakoda on medium-high heat to get crispiness.

Variations

You can add other vegetables like onions, potatoes, cabbage, sweet corn, and chopped spinach or kale.
Dont have cumin seeds? no problem, replace it with ajwain (carrom seeds). Ajwain enhances the flavor of the dish and also helps to aid digestion.
If you don't have garam masala, then replace it with chaat masala.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition