There is nothing more enjoyable than crispy pakoras on a rainy evening. If you wish to prepare the traditional monsoon snack with a twist, renowned chef Kunal Kapur has shared an exciting corn pakora recipe that is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and served with a creamy homemade dip.
The recipe was shared on the chef's social media accounts and features ingredients such as fresh corn, spices and gram flour. Kunal Kapur's recipe is one for the ages:
Ingredients
For the corn mixture
- 3 cups corn niblets, grated and ground
- 1½ tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- A handful of curry leaves
- 2 tsp chopped ginger
- 2 chopped green chillies
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup milk
For the batter
- 1 cup gram flour (besan)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp kasoori methi powder
- A handful of chopped coriander leaves
- ¾ cup water
For the dip
- 2 cheese slices
- 2 tsp chilli flakes
- 6 crushed black peppercorns
- ¼ tsp finely chopped garlic
- ½ cup hung curd
- ¼ cup milk (optional)
- A pinch of black cumin seeds
How to make corn pakoras
- The first step is to grate the corn and grind it to a coarse consistency.
- Heat ghee in a pan and add asafoetida, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, finely chopped ginger and green chillies. Sauté until fragrant.
- Then add turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. Add the grated corn mixture and stir well. Pour in the milk and sauté until everything is well combined.
- Meanwhile, prepare the batter by whisking together gram flour, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, kasoori methi, chopped coriander and water until smooth.
- For the dip, combine cheese slices, chilli flakes, crushed peppercorns, chopped garlic, hung curd, milk (if using) and black cumin seeds. Whisk until creamy.
- Shape the cooled corn mixture into small balls. Dip each one into the gram flour batter and deep-fry on medium heat until crisp and golden brown.
- Serve hot with the creamy dip.
Kunal Kapur's special tips for crispy corn pakoras
Chef Kunal Kapur shared a few additional tips to help you make crispy pakoras every time:
- Grate the corn finely for the best texture.
- Remove excess moisture before preparing the batter.
- Do not add extra water, as the corn itself contains plenty of moisture.
- Allow the batter to rest for 5–10 minutes before frying.
- Fry on medium heat so the pakoras cook evenly and turn golden brown.
- Do not overcrowd the pan; fry in batches.
- Sprinkle chaat masala before serving for extra flavour.
These crispy corn pakoras are the perfect snack for rainy days and pair wonderfully with a hot cup of masala chai.
Also read: Which is a better protein source, paneer or eggs? Gastroenterologist weighs in
