Air Fryer Onion Pakoda

Gloomy and rainy weather is the best time to have air fryer onion pakoda. This pakoda in an air fryer is a perfect tea-time snack. I love the environment when your whole family is together having pakoda and tea for snacks. And having the funny conversation, uh! that’s a blessing.

I love making air fryer pakoda because it’s way better and healthier than traditional cooking (deep-fried). In the air fryer, you don’t need so much oil still the pakoras are crispy and delicious, and get ready within 15 minutes. Make some green chutneys (coriander and mint dip) and serve your crispy and delicious pakoras and enjoy. I’ve also shared the green chutney recipe for you.

While making onion fritters in air fryer, one essential thing is that it’s easy to clean up at the end. You don’t have to worry about the oil splashes all over your kitchen while making a simple snack. So, I prefer air-fried pakoras instead of deep-fried ones. If you like onion snacks you should also try making onion rings in air fryer, and crispy blooming onion.

What is a Pakoda or Pakora?

Pakoda is a fritter made of vegetables such as onion, and potatoes coated with a spicy gram flour batter and deep-fried. Pakoda or pakora are the same because pakora comes under other spellings such as pakora, pakodi, etc.

How to make an air fryer onion pakoda?

Making pakoda in an air fryer is simple, quick, and easy. You just need to assemble the spices from your pantry and you are good to start. Let’s see what are the ingredients.

Ingredients for air fryer pakoda:

• 1 cup onion/ 1 cup onion
• ½ cup chickpea flour (besan)
• ¼ cup rice flour
• 2 tablespoons coriander/cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1 green chili (finely chopped)
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of water
• Salt to taste

Instructions for air fryer pakoda:

1. Peel the onion, wash thoroughly with clean water and finely slice the onion.
2. Transfer the sliced onions to a mixing bowl and add salt to taste. Now mix the onion and salt until well combined and let it sit for 10 minutes.
3. 
4. Now add all the ingredients in the onion except water.
5. Then mix all the spices thoroughly, in this stage you’ll find your mixture a little dry.
6. So, add the water 1 spoon at a time, to avoid liquidy batter at the end. The batter should look as shown in the image.
7. Preheat your air fryer at 180C/356F for 3 minutes.
8. Brush your air fryer with oil and take a scoop of onion pakoda mixture with your hand or spoon. Place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer without overcrowding. Brush a light coat of oil over the onion pakoras.
9. Cook them at 180C/356F for 12-15 minutes or until the outer layer is brown and crispy. Flip the pakoras halfway through the cooking process and brush a thin layer of oil.
10. Remove the pakoras from the air fryer basket.
11. Serve them with green dipping sauce or ketchup and enjoy your hot, crispy, and spicy pakoras.

Note: When you mix the sliced onions and salt together the onion releases its moisture. This process makes the onions soft and you’ll need less water for making the batter.

You can find the air fryer pakoda recipe in the printable card below.

12+ Air Fryer Indian Recipes to Tantalize your taste buds

Benefits of making onion pakoda in an air fryer:

• No messy kitchen with the oil splashes and easy clean-up.
• Easy to make a great tea time snack.
• Healthier than the deep-fried ones.
• No need to keep an eye or stand near the hot stove, especially in summers.

 

Tips for Making the best air fryer onion pakoda:

• Roast the chickpea flour (besan) in a pan for about 5 minutes. This will help to remove the raw smell of chickpea flour and enhances the flavor of the onion pakora recipe.
• Make sure the onion slices are thin and evenly cut.
• Massage the onion and salt to release the moisture from the onion. This will make the onion soft and you’ll end up using less water for the batter.
• Adding rice flour helps make the pakoras crispier.
• Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket while cooking pakoras. Instead, do it in batches for the best result.
• Don’t skip adding oil while making the onion pakoda mixture. Because oil helps to make pakoda lighter from the inside.
• Make sure to brush a thin layer of oil over the pakoras this will make the pakoras crispier.

 

Best onions for making air fryer onion pakoda:

You can use any onion for making pakoda. I love using red onion for this onion pakoda recipe. But here are some of the onions you can use while making pakoras.

• White onion
• Yellow onion
• Sweet onion

Find more air fryer snacks recipes:

• Frozen sweet potato fries in air fryer
• Air fryer tofu
• Air fryer pumpkin seeds
• Air fryer zucchini fries

Chutney (dips) for air fryer onion pakoda:

Air fryer onion pakoda is usually served with green chutney made of coriander leaves and mint leaves. This chutney is fresh and tasty. This perfectly complements the hot onion pakoras. If you’re interested in making this refreshing chutney let’s see the ingredients.

Ingredients for green chutney:

• 1 cup fresh coriander
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
• 2-3 green chilies
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• ½ inch ginger
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (roasted)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• Black salt ½ teaspoon (optional)

Instructions for green chutney:

1. Take an electric blender to add all the ingredients for chutney.
2. Blend them and make a fine paste. You can add a teaspoon of water if needed/ if the chutney paste is too thick.
3. Remove the mixture and serve it with your hot air fryer onion pakoda.

Serving suggestion for air fryer onion pakoda:

Onion fritters are best when served with green chutney (coriander & mint) and a hot cup of tea. Pakodas are also good when served with sweet tamarind chutney or ketchup. However, you can enjoy your hot and crispy onion pakoras with your favorite dips.

Here are some of the frequently asked questions:

Are these air fryer onion pakoda gluten-free and vegan?

Yes, onion pakoras made in an air fryer are gluten-free and vegan. Because the flour used in the recipe is of chickpeas and it’s vegan because there are only plant-based products in the recipe.

What temperature do you cook onion pakoda in an air fryer?

I’ve cooked the onion pakoras in my Philips air fryer at 180C/356F for 12-15 minutes. They were perfectly cooked to my liking. However, every air fryer works differently even though the temperature might be the same the duration might vary. So, adjust the cooking time according to your liking.

Do air fryers make good onion pakora?

Yes, onion pakodas are good when made in an air fryer because it’s basically oil-free. Air fryer onion pakoda is crispy and healthy compared to deep-fried ones.

Can you put raw onions in airfryer?

Yes, you can cook raw onions in the air fryer. Thinly slice the onions, mist with oil, and sprinkle some salt. Air fry them and your air-fried crispy onions are ready. You can sprinkle the crispy onion over the food and enjoy.

Can you put chopped onions in an air fryer?

Yes, you can put the chopped onions in an air fryer.

Why should I air fry my pakora in a single layer?

Air frying the pakora in a single layer helps to cook them evenly. This also allows to flow of the hot air evenly and helps to make the air fryer onion pakoda crispier.

How to store the leftover air fryer onion pakoda?

Air fryer onion pakoda is best when served hot and crispy. However, you can put them in an air-tight container and store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Reheat the pakoras in the air fryer and enjoy them the next day.

Equipment:
Air fryer

Course: Snack, Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Nutrition Facts:

Calories- 50 kcal | Total Fat- 1g | Saturated Fat- 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat- 1g | Trans Fat-1g | Monounsaturated Fat- 1g | Protein- 2g | Carbohydrates- 7 mg | Sodium- 276mg | Fiber- 2g | Sugar- 2g | Potassium- 98mg | Vitamin A- 36IU | Vitamin C- 2mg | Iron- 1mg |   Calcium- 9mg |

If you like the air fryer onion pakoda recipe, look what else you can air fry:

• Air Fryer Broccoli
• Air Fried Okra
• Air Fryer Fried Garlic

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

You can also check our Youtube video for making Air Fryer Onion Pakoda.

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