Rice Pakora | Chawal Ke Pakode | Leftover Rice Pakora
Pakoda/pakora or fritters is a favorite kind of fried food for us Indians. And then there’s rice, which is also quite the staple food in India. So, when we bring these 2 together, it is only fireworks! Thus, just like the other evergreen Pakora Recipes, the Rice Pakora or Chawal Ke Pakode also is a scrumptious snack option. All the more special because this is a Leftover Rice Pakora, made with leftover cooked rice, gram flour, herbs and spices. Easy, vegan and just lovely!
About Rice Pakora
The best thing about this Rice Pakora is that it is made with leftover cooked rice. So, no more racking your brains over what more to do with the cooked rice that is left from today’s lunch or dinner meal! Just mash it up, combine it with the rest of the ingredients, drop in hot oil and fry away to glory.
These Chawal Ke Pakode have a crisp texture from the outside and are soft within. In fact, these are so good that you wouldn’t even come to know that these pakoras are really made with rice. These pakoras are absolutely one of those ways I love using up the leftover rice, and not wasting them.
Since I’m too particular when it comes to using leftover rice, that is, I usually don’t use a day-old cooked rice as it is best and healthiest to consume freshly cooked rice. So, whenever there is some rice left after lunch, I opt to make this Leftover Rice Pakora on the same day as an evening tea time snack.
More on Rice Pakoda
Rice Pakoda is a really easy recipe and can be prepared quickly for a nice brunch and a fun evening snack, as I mentioned above. These pakoras are also quite a hit with the kids. So, you can adjust the spices accordingly if you are preparing these for the young ones.
Other than these Chawal Ke Pakode, I make a lot of other dishes with leftover cooked rice like idlis, cutlets, appams and kheer to name a few. In case you want to try these, Leftover Rice Recipes is your place to be. Check out the link and enjoy preparing these lovely dishes at home.
Rice Pakora is best relished when served immediately after frying with a chutney of your choice – green, mint, coriander, tamarind, dry garlic chutney etc. You can also enjoy it with tomato ketchup or sauce, with a side of roti or bread.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to make Rice Pakora
Making pakora mixture
1. Take 1 cup of cooked rice in a small bowl or pan. Mash the rice with your hands or with a spoon. Mashing the rice gives a soft texture to the pakoras.
It is always better to use rice which is cooked really well. If the rice appears dry after removing it from the refrigerator, just sprinkle some water on it and heat it for a few minutes.
2. Then, add the following ingredients to the cooked rice:5 tablespoons gram flour (besan)
1 medium size finely chopped onion (or ½ cup finely chopped onion)
1 inch finely chopped or grated ginger
1 chopped green chili (or ½ teaspoon red chili powder)
¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) – optional)
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
salt as required
3. Stir and mix well. Keep aside for 8 to 10 minutes. The onions will release their juices and make the mixture a bit soft.
4. Once the onions have released their juices in the mixture, add water as needed.
5. Stir and mix very well. The batter should be medium-thick to medium consistency as shown in the below photo.
Frying Rice Pakora
6. In a kadai or frying pan, heat oil. You can use any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoking point. Keep the heat to medium or medium-high.
When the oil becomes medium hot, take spoonfuls of the pakora mixture and drop it in the oil. Depending upon the size of kadai, you can add more or less mixture while frying. Don’t overstuff the kadai and keep some space between the pakodas.
7. Let the Chawal Ke Pakode get cooked, browned lightly and then you turn them over and continue to fry.
You will have to flip them a few times for even cooking. Deep fry till the pakoras have become crisp and golden. Once done, then using a slotted spoon, remove the pakoras draining the extra oil in the kadai.
Then, place the fried fritters on kitchen paper towels so that they absorb any extra oil. This way fry the remaining fritters in batches.
8. Serve Rice Pakora hot or warm with green chutney, tomato sauce, mint chutney or coriander chutney. We also like to have these with ginger tea.
You can also have them hot with roti or bread slices. Best to have them hot, as on cooling these fritters won’t taste so good.
Expert Tips
It is best to use rice for this recipe, which is soft, tender and cooked really well. Don’t use al dente cooked rice. If you feel that the cooked rice is dry after removing it from the refrigerator, sprinkle some water on it and heat it in a pan for few minutes. This will make the rice moist and soft.
In case the pakora batter becomes thin, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more of gram flour (besan). If the batter appears thick, then add a few teaspoons of water and mix again.
You can reduce the quantity of green chilies and red chili powder when making for small kids.
You can fry the pakodas in any neutral-flavored oil. Depending on the size of kadai/pan, fry the pakoras in batches. Don’t overcrowd the kadai and keep some space between the pakodas while frying.
Scaling of the recipe is possible, for making larger batches.
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