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Chinese Pakoda, step by step on video
See how the vegetables and sauces come together, how the flour makes a gooey batter without water, and how to drop and fry the pakodas.
6:20 · Recipe video · Cooking with Siddhi
Chinese Pakoda, also called Chinese pakora or Chinese bhaji, is one of the best-loved street foods in Mumbai. Crunchy fritters of cabbage, spring onion, carrot and beetroot are tossed with soy sauce, red and green chilli sauces, vinegar and ginger-garlic, then bound with corn flour and maida and fried until golden.
Street stalls often add ajinomoto and red food colour. I make mine without either: the crushed beetroot gives the deep red colour, and the sauces bring all the flavour.
Every recipe on Cooking with Siddhi is cooked in my own kitchen before it goes live.
Why you will love this Chinese pakoda
- Street-style taste at home: the tangy, spicy Indo-Chinese flavour you get at Mumbai stalls.
- No ajinomoto, no food colour: beetroot gives the colour naturally.
- No water needed: the flours soak up the moisture from the vegetables to make the batter.
- Packed with vegetables: cabbage, spring onion, carrot and beetroot in every bite.
Ingredient notes
- Beetroot: crushed beetroot gives the pakodas their red colour without any food colour.
- Corn flour and maida: together they bind the vegetables into a gooey batter. If it feels sticky, add a little more maida.
- Sauces: soy sauce, red chilli sauce, green chilli sauce and vinegar give the Indo-Chinese flavour.
- No water: the vegetables release moisture that the flour absorbs, so you do not need to add any water.
Chinese Pakoda Recipe
Crispy Indo-Chinese fritters of cabbage, spring onion, carrot and beetroot with soy and chilli sauces, made without ajinomoto or food colour. A Mumbai street food favourite.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups cabbage, finely chopped
- 1 cup spring onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup carrot, grated
- 1/3 cup beetroot, crushed
- 1/2 cup corn flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (maida), plus a little extra if needed
- 2 to 3 green chillies, crushed
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic, finely chopped or paste
- 1 tbsp red chilli sauce
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp green chilli sauce
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Mix the vegetables and sauces. In a large mixing bowl, add the finely chopped cabbage, grated carrot, chopped spring onion, crushed beetroot, red chilli sauce, green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well.
- Make the batter. Add the corn flour and all-purpose flour and mix until it forms a gooey batter. The flour absorbs the moisture from the vegetables, so you do not need to add water. If the batter is sticky, add a little more all-purpose flour to get the right consistency.
- Heat the oil. Heat oil well in a kadhai to fry the fritters.
- Drop the pakodas. Using your hand, drop uneven, medium-sized portions of the batter into the oil.
- Fry. Fry the pakodas on a medium flame until golden brown on all sides.
- Drain and serve. Once ready, take them out onto a plate lined with kitchen towel and serve.
Nutrition Facts
3 servings per recipe
Serving size1 serving (⅓ recipe)
| Nutrient | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|
| Total Fat 1 g | 1% |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 5% |
| Sodium 869 mg | 38% |
| Total Carbohydrate 49 g | 18% |
| Dietary Fibre 5 g | 18% |
| Total Sugars 8 g | |
| Protein 5 g | |
| Vitamin A 3931 IU | |
| Vitamin C 25 mg | 28% |
| Calcium 45 mg | 3% |
| Iron 2 mg | 11% |
| Potassium 317 mg | 7% |
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in one serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Values are approximate and calculated from the ingredients listed. The actual amounts depend on the brands you use and how much oil the pakodas absorb while frying.
Recipe by Siddhi Panchal.
Tips for crispy Chinese pakoda
- Do not add water. The flours absorb the moisture from the vegetables and make the batter.
- If the batter feels sticky, add a little more all-purpose flour until it holds together.
- Heat the oil well, then fry on a medium flame until the pakodas are golden brown on all sides.
What to serve with Chinese Pakoda
Serve them hot as a starter or an evening snack, the way they are sold at Mumbai street stalls. For a starter platter, add my Crispy Potato Balls, Onion Rings and Dahi Ke Kebab.
Chinese Pakoda FAQs
Do I need to add water to the pakoda batter?
No. The corn flour and all-purpose flour absorb the moisture from the vegetables and form a gooey batter, so no water is needed.
How do I get the red colour without food colour?
Crushed beetroot gives Chinese pakoda its red colour naturally, so this recipe uses no food colour.
Is this Chinese pakoda made with ajinomoto?
No. Street versions often use ajinomoto, but this recipe gets its flavour from soy sauce, chilli sauces, vinegar and ginger-garlic instead.
What if the batter is sticky?
Add a little more all-purpose flour until the batter reaches the right consistency.
More recipes
Find more starters in our Appetizers collection, or browse every recipe.