piyaji is a deep-fried Indian snack of crispy and tasty onion fritters made with gram flour (besan), spices, and herbs. Also called Onion Pakora these are a popular Indian street food as well.
Deep-fried onion fritters or piyaji made with gram flour (besan), spices, and herbs are known as onion pakoda in India. These are common Indian street food item that is also known by the name Onion Pakora.
Onion pakoda or piyaji is prepared differently in different parts of India, like many other Indian dishes. It’s a snack that tastes great and is simple to make. I offer two tasty variations of the recipe.
Asafoetida (hing), which I also add, is optional. The recipe yields fritters that are crisp and have an exterior caramelization of some onions. While the pakoda’s interior texture contrasts with softened onions in a thoroughly fried batter
You can serve Onion Pakoda with some fried salted green chilies and green chutney or sweet chutney. This whole combo can also be served with Indian chai.
Ingredient for piyaji recipe
- 2 onions – medium to large-sized
- 1 cup gram flour (besan)
-
1 tsp crushed ginger
-
5 chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- Salt to taste
- 1 pinch of baking soda
- 1 teaspoons chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
-
water as required
- oil as required
Instructions For piyaji Recipe
- Roughly chop onions and transfer them into a bowl.
- Also, add chopped green chilies.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, carom seeds, salt, 1 teaspoon chaat masala, gram flour, and 1 tablespoon oil.
- For a soft and light texture in the pakoda, you can add 1 pinch of baking soda. Adding baking soda is optional.
- Mix everything well. Cover and keep the onion, chilies, and spice mixture aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
- The onions would release water and then you can add water as required in the batter.
- Stir the whole mixture very well with a spoon or with your hands.
- Now heat oil in a cooking pot and make sure the oil is enough hot before putting the piyaji for frying.
- In hot oil, add spoonfuls of the pakora batter or take a small part of the batter in hand and then press them to spread a little and then put into the hot oil.
- Just make sure you don’t overcrowd the onion pakoda while frying.
- When the pakora is a bit cooked and lightly crispy, turn it over with a slotted spoon and continue to fry.
- With a spatula change the side of each piyaji carefully and fry them till they turn dark making sure are not over-fried.
- Fry the onion pakoda, till they look crisp and golden.
- Remove fried onion pakora with a slotted spoon and drain them on kitchen paper towels for excess oil to be absorbed.
- Crunchy and Crispy piyaji is ready to eat, have fun with family and friends
Tips and variations
- You can add 1 teaspoon of ginger paste when you are making the mixture
- The onions have to be sliced thinly and not thickly as thin slices will get cooked faster than thick slices
- The oil should not be too hot or cold. If it is hot, then the outside of the onion pakoda will get fried but the inside will be undercooked.
- Some cooks use a pinch of baking soda in the batter to add that extra fluffiness to the onion pakora.
- You can add a variety of herbs and spices in the gram flour batter
- You can also bake or air fry them.
Serving Suggestions
Transfer pyazis to a serving plate, sprinkle chaat masala on top and serve hot. You can serve those piyaji with hot tea or muri
Serve these Crispy Onion Fritters hot with tomato chutney or coconut chutney or pudina chutney or tomato ketchup.
Serve onion pakoda with the fried salted green chilies or coriander chutney or mint chutney or tomato ketchup.
Baking
bake at 180 degrees Celsius in a preheated oven till the pakora look crisp and golden. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil to the batter. Add less water just enough to coat the onion slices.
Air frying
air fry at 180 degrees Celsius. Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes and then air fry till crisp. In between remove the air fryer pan and shake or turn over each pakoda.
Nutrition
| Calories | 539kcal |
| Fat | 39g |
| Sodium |
624mg
|
| Potassium |
857mg
|
| Carbohydrates | 40g |
| Protein | 12g |
| Vitamin A |
908IU
|
| Vitamin C |
34mg
|
| Calcium | 208mg |
Also read: Fish fry recipe (step by step)
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