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Rice pakora in English means Rice Fritters. These are crispy fried snack recipes made with leftover cooked rice which is mixed with besan (gram flour) along with flavourful spices and then deep-fried. This is a vegan & gluten-free recipe.
Rice pakora are also known as Chawal ke pakore in Hindi and Bhatache vade in Marathi. Besan helps in nice binding and perfect texture. Adding few basic spices and herbs, these pakora’s are fried in hot oil until crisp and golden brown.
When it comes to leftover rice recipes, there are numerous recipes that are normally prepared in every household in India from Maharashtrian phodnicha bhat also known in Gujarati as vagharelo bhat, lemon rice, fried rice, masala rice ,cutlets to name a few.
Rice being the staple food of India, it’s an important part of our diet, and we Indians as you all know love rice in any form. No wonder there is always some leftover rice sitting quietly in our refrigerator that needs to be experimented with.
Rice pakora made from leftover cooked rice also known as chawal ke pakora, chawal bhajiya or bhatachi bhajji (bhajji in marathi means pakode) is a quick and easy recipe perfect tea time snack.
Deep-fried snacks are one of the favourite tea-time snacks at my house. Pakoras are a much-loved snack and are generally served with spicy coriander mint chutney or tomato ketchup along with a hot cup of ginger tea or coffee.
These pakora’s turn out very crispy due to their main ingredient i.e Rice. Besan gives this pakora a nice binding and a perfect texture.
This crunchy delicious snack can be made in just under 30 minutes once you have leftover rice on hand.
It takes only 20-30 minutes to make these rice fritters. These fritters when fried to golden brown turn crispy from the outside and soft from the inside. These pakora make the best appetizer for Birthday parties, get-togethers, kitty parties, game nights, or to entertain your guest when they drop by unannounced.
This recipe is so easy and versatile that you can easily tweak it according to your taste buds and still can’t go wrong with it.
In India, you will find varieties of fritters (pakora) that are made out of vegetables, lentils, legumes, dairy products and bakery products.
Some popular pakoras / fritters that you will find often made are onion fritters, cabbage fritters, spinach, cauliflower, sweet corn fritters, potatoes, paneer (Indian cottage cheese), bread fritters / bread pakora to name a few.
I have used basic spices, veggies, and herbs such as onion, ginger, and coriander to name a few. But if you want it more flavourful and chatpata you may add chaat masala or amchur powder and vegetables of your choice.
Once my pakora batter is ready I fry them in hot oil until they get nicely crispy and golden brown.
These rice pakoras are best served with tomato sauce or coriander mint chutney. Actually, they taste wonderful without any condiments.
These rice pakora are very addictive and also vegan and gluten-free.
Phodnicha Bhat / Vagharelo Bhat
Mugachi Khichadi – Yellow Moong Dal Khichdi
Vegan Recipes
Snack Recipes
Imli Khajoor Chutney
Food FAQ’s
Let’s see how to make chawal ke pakore / rice firtters in your home kitchen with basic ingredients that are easily available in every household.
Serves: 4 Persons
Prep time: 6 minutes
Cook time: 3-4 minutes per batch
Cooking level: Easy
Taste: Spicy
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1/2 cup Besan (Gram flour)
- 1 Onion chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Ginger – Green Chilli
- 1 teaspoon Garlic finely chopped
- 1/4th cup Coriander Leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
- Salt to taste
- In a mixing bowl add cooked rice, onion, crushed ginger & chilli paste, chopped garlic, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, salt, ajwain (carom seeds), coriander leaves (cilantro). Mix well, try to mash rice a little bit.
- Add besan (gram flour) and sprinkle some water so that rice and besan combine properly together. Check for seasoning.
- Heat oil in a pan/kadhai. Once the oil is hot, drop small portions of this batter and fry on medium flame until the pakoras / fritters are crisp and golden brown.
- Transfer the pakora / fritters onto tissue paper to soak the excess oil.
- Serve hot with tomato ketchup or coriander mint chutney along with tea or coffee.
