These Crispy Baked Onion Pakodas (Fritters) are a healthier alternative to the widely loved monsoon snack and taste almost like the fried version! They're super crispy and are addictive so you can binge on them without the guilt of eating greasy food!
These super crispy BAKED onion pakodas or fritters or bhajiyas (or whatever you like to call them), are going to change your pakoda game forever! Since they are not fried, you and I can safely stuff our faces with them. These baked onion fritters are almost like the real deal. I say almost because they get super crisp in the oven and perfectly brown around the edges., but just take slightly longer to cook. Scroll down for all my secrets and top tips to make the best pakodas in the oven!
Quick Walk Through: Baked Onion Pakodas
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret to crispy baked pakodas is in two things - the slice of the onions and the the batter you prepare. Make sure to slice the onions really thinly and massage them to help release as much moisture as possible. Secondly, always add a little rice flour along with chickpea flour when making the batter. Rice flour helps make the pakodas really crispy.
If your onion pakoda feels soft and soggy instead of perfectly crispy, then that could be because the onions still have some amount of moisture. Make sure to massage the onions properly and press them to remove any excess moisture before coating them with batter.
Technically you can because air fryers are just smaller countertop ovens. However, air fryer don't cook stuff coated in batter very well. Which is why I wouldn't recommend making these onion pakodas in the air fryer.
Top Tips To Perfect Best Baked Onion Fritters
- Use thinly sliced veggies. I actually spiralized (Buy a spiralizer here) my onions so that I get them super duper thin. That way they cook faster and crisp up real nice.
- Use a mixture of besan (chickpea flour) and rice flour. The chickpea flour binds nicely and the rice flour adds extra crispness.
- Be patient. The baked version doesn't cook as quickly and takes about 22 minutes in the oven. But trust me, it's all worth it.
- You can use other veggies too make pakodas as well. However, this baked method won't juicy veggies like tomatoes. But I can totally see myself making some capsicum, corn, chilli pakodas in the future.
- Once you take the pakodas out of the oven, allow them to cool down on a wire rack instead of a dish. This prevents the pakodas from collecting steam and helps them stay fresh and crisp for a little longer.
I love having these straight from the oven tray with a steaming cup of masala chai. You can even dunk these baked pakodas in some tomato ketchup orย green coriander chutney If you end up trying these out, tag @my_foodstory on Instagram and share your delicious pictures with me.
Crispy Baked Onion Pakodas (Fritters)
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 Onions large , spiralized or sliced thinly
- ยฝ cup Chickpea Flour Besan
- ยผ cup Rice Flour
- 2 tablespoons Oil + Extra for brushing
- 2 Green Chillies finely chopped
- ยฝ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ยฝ cup Water +1 tablespoon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 200C. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or greased parchment paper.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl till there are no lumps. The batter might be slightly runny which is okay. It should just about coat the onions.
- Take a tablespoonful of onion batter at a time, shaking off any dripping batter and place them on the sheet at equal distance.
- Bake in the oven for 22 minutes till cooked through and the top is golden brown. Half way through, at about 15 minutes, brush the pakodas with oil and continue baking.
- Serve immediately with ketchup and coriander chutney. Storing these onion pakodas for later makes them soggy so eat immediately. Which is not a problem if you like to stuff your face like me.
Notes
- Use thinly sliced veggies. I actually spiralized (Buy a spiralizer here) my onions so that I get them super duper thin. That ways they cook faster and crisp up real nice.
- Use a mixture of besan (chickpea flour) and rice flour. The chickpea flour binds nicely and the rice flour adds extra crispness.
- This takes about 22 minutes in the oven at 200C.ย The time may vary depending on the capacity of your oven.ย
Anika Shree says
Wow! Such an amazing recipe for crispy onion pakodasss. Rn I'm literally hungry and this is making me more. Thanks to the author for sharing this yummm blog with us.
PRIYA KARKHANIS says
This is happening out on the deck this weekend. Cool weather, hot masala chai, and crispy bhajia!
Richa says
Sounds fantastic