Rice Pakora Recipe | Rice Pakoda Recipe

Rice Pakora is a crunchy, tasty snack made by deep frying dollops of mashed rice blend with spices, onion & herbs. Rice Pakora is an age old snack or side dish that is prepared with leftover cooked rice. This is one snack which is very simple but truly satisfying to have with hot tea or coffee.

I usually make rice pakora when I have little leftover rice from lunch. It is one of the best ways to use up leftover rice and make a quick evening snack. These pakoras are crunchy, golden and full of flavor that nobody can stop with one. They are perfect for rainy evening or when you crave for something hot and crispy.

Jump to:

• About Rice Pakora
• Rice Pakora Ingredients
• How to make Rice Pakora Step by Step
• Expert Tips
• Serving and Storage
• FAQS
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About Rice Pakora

Rice Pakora is a popular Indian tea time snack made with cooked rice. The leftover rice is mashed and mixed with gram flour, rice flour, onion and few spices. Then the mixture is shaped roughly and deep fried till golden brown. The texture is crisp outside but soft inside with light chewy rice bits.

The flavor of onion and herbs mixed with curd rice base makes it very comforting. The chili powder gives little spice and coriander adds nice aroma. It also makes the outer layer crisp and helps pakoras hold shape while frying. You can also add little green chili or ginger for extra spice and kick.

There are many ways people make it, some grind the rice smooth, but I like to keep it little coarse. That small uneven bits gives nice crunchy feel while eating. It is one of those recipes which turns simple leftover into such tasty snack. It is one of those snacks that vanish very fast at my home, everyone like to have it with ketchup or chutney.

I make this often on weekends or evenings when I feel the craving of hot pakoras on rain. The kitchen smells so good when these pakoras are frying.

Rice Pakora is an easy snack recipe made with leftover rice. It's crispy outside and soft inside with nice flavor of onion and herbs. The mixture of rice, gram flour and spices give wonderful taste and texture.

Rice Pakora Ingredients

• Leftover rice - I used leftover rice which was bit dry. If rice is fresh and soft, it may become too sticky while mixing. Just mash it little with hand or spoon before using.
• Gram flour - I used this to bind everything together. This helps pakora hold shape. You can add extra if it feels loose.
• Rice flour - I just added small amount of rice flour for crispiness. It helps pakora turn crunchy and light.
• Onion - I added finely chopped onion for crunch and sweet taste. You can also add little green chili if you want more spice.
• Coriander leaves - I just added freshly chopped coriander leaves for color and flavor.
• Mint leaves - I added few chopped mint leaves. It gives light refreshing flavor which goes well with onion. Can skip if you don't have.
• Red chilli powder - I used mild red chilli powder. It gives light spice and nice color to pakora. Adjust as per your taste.
• Oil - I used oil for deep frying. Oil should be hot enough before dropping mixture else pakoras will drink oil and become greasy.

Why This Recipe Works

• It's a simple and quick to make recipe using leftover rice.
• The gram flour and rice flour in this recipe gives crisp and light texture.
• You can change spice and herbs as per your taste easily.
• It is best evening snack to have with tea or coffee.
• The pakoras turn golden, crisp outside and soft inside making it so tasty.

Similar Recipes

• Ragi pakoda
• Onion bajji
• Onion pakoda
• Pakoda kulambu
• Bread pakoda

How to make Rice Pakora Step by Step

1.Take rice in a mixing bowl, mash it well with  a ladle.

2.Now add all other ingredients except oil mix well first then add little water and mix with a spoon, mash it and mix.

3.Now form small balls and drop the mixture into preheated oil. Cook in low medium flame.

4.Deep fry until golden brown. Drain in tissue paper and serve hot! Repeat this for the rest of  mixture.

Serve hot with tea!

Expert Tips

• Rice texture - I always use leftover rice that is bit firm. If you use fresh rice it becomes sticky and difficult to fry. You can even keep rice in fridge for some time before using.
• Mashing rice - I mash the rice only slightly so that few grains remain whole. It gives nice bite and crunch while eating. You can also grind if you want smooth mixture but I like rough one.
• Oil temperature - Keep oil medium hot always. Too hot oil will make outside brown soon but inside stays uncooked. Too low oil makes pakoras absorb oil and turn soggy.
• Water adding - Do not add much water in the mixture. Just sprinkle little to bring it together. It should be thick, not like batter.
• Shaping - I usually take small portions and drop directly into oil. Do not try to make perfect balls, the uneven edges become very crispy.
• Batch frying - Fry in small batches. If you put too many together the oil temperature drops and pakoras become soft.
• Extra crisp - For extra crispy pakoras, add little more rice flour and fry till deep golden brown. Be patient and fry slowly for perfect texture.

Serving and Storage

Serve this hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney. It also goes well with masala tea during evening time. You can sprinkle little chat masala on top before serving if you like that tangy flavor.

It taste best when eaten fresh and hot. If there is some leftover, keep it in airtight box for few hours and warm it little before serving again. The crispness may reduce little but still tastes good.

FAQS

1.Can I use fresh cooked rice for this recipe?

Yes you can use, but make sure to cool it completely before mixing. If rice is hot it will turn sticky and make mixture too soft.

2.Can I skip rice flour?

Yes you can skip, but rice flour gives that nice crisp texture. Without it pakoras come bit soft.

3.Can I bake or air fry this?

You can try baking or air frying, but it will not get same crisp like deep fried ones. Taste will be good but texture change little.

4.Why my pakoras broke in oil?

That happens when mixture is too loose or oil is not hot enough. Add little more gram flour and check if oil heated properly.

5.Can I add vegetables?

Yes you can add some carrot, cabbage or spinach to make it more colorful and healthy. It gives different taste also and adds some crunch.

If you have any more questions about this Rice Pakora Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook,  Pinterest, Youtube and Twitter .

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