Hot, crispy pakodas with a cup of tea are a monsoon favourite, but they often turn out soggy because they soak up far more oil than they should while frying. That extra oil not only ruins the taste but also spoils the texture, making the pakodas feel heavy instead of crunchy. Master chef Pankaj Bhadouria shared a few simple kitchen tips on her YouTube channel that help pakodas absorb less oil while turning perfectly crispy on the outside.
Get the oil temperature right
According to Pankaj Bhadouria, the temperature of the oil plays the biggest role in getting pakodas crispy. If the flame is kept too high, the pakodas brown quickly on the outside but stay uncooked inside. On the other hand, if the flame is too low, the pakodas stay in the oil for longer and end up soaking up more oil, which spoils their taste. That is why the flame should be kept neither too high nor too low, a medium flame works best while frying pakodas.
How to check if the oil is ready
To check whether the oil is hot enough for frying, dip a slotted spoon or ladle into it. If bubbles start forming around it immediately, the oil is ready for frying pakodas. This simple trick avoids having to test the oil repeatedly by dropping in pakodas and helps maintain the right frying temperature throughout.
Add a little salt to the oil
To make pakodas crispier and reduce how much oil they absorb, a little salt can be added to the oil. Adding a pinch of salt to the hot oil before frying helps the pakodas soak up less oil. Salt also helps control the surface tension of the oil, which keeps the pakodas from sticking to each other while frying.
Mix semolina and rice flour into the batter
To make besan pakodas even crunchier, semolina (sooji) can be added to the batter. Besides that, mixing in a little rice flour or a spoon of hot oil also increases the crunch of the pakodas and keeps them from soaking up too much oil while frying. Both these tricks are simple and can be done with ingredients already available in most kitchens.
Follow these tips for perfect pakodas
Keeping the oil at a medium temperature, adding a little salt to it, and using semolina or rice flour in the batter together ensure pakodas that soak up less oil while turning crunchy on the outside and fully cooked on the inside. Following these easy kitchen hacks during the monsoon season can help recreate restaurant-style crispy pakodas at home.
