Chicken Pakora (Indian Takeaway / Kebab Shop Style)

Chicken Pakora in a serving tray with sliced onion, coriander, a lemon wedge and pink pakora sauce.

A kebab shop classic, this Indian takeaway chicken pakora recipe is perfect for a starter or side dish. Serve it with pink pakora sauce for a faithful Indian restaurant recreation!


Indian takeaway chicken pakora (and pakora of all kinds) is hugely popular in Scotland, where you can even visit a pakora garden. Often attractively colourful thanks to food colouring or beetroot powder, it’s usually served with a garnish of thinly sliced onions, fresh coriander and a fresh lemon wedge. Not forgetting, of course, the classic pink pakora sauce for dipping.

Ingredients For Chicken Pakora

For this chicken pakora recipe, you can use either chicken mini fillets, or skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into strips. Mini fillets are a little more tender, but this recipe works well with both. The chicken is marinated in spices including basaar curry mix, cumin, coriander and garlic powder. Gram flour (chickpea flour) and plain flour are used to coat the chicken strips for deep frying.

  • Chicken: Mini fillets, or sliced skinless, boneless chicken breast
  • Marinade: Basaar Curry Mix, Cumin, Coriander, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Chilli Powder, Dried Fenugreek Leaves, Turmeric, Salt, Garlic & Ginger Paste, Tamarind Paste, Mint Sauce, Water, Vegetable Oil
  • Coating: Gram Flour, Plain Flour, Beetroot Powder, Water, Vegetable Oil

How To Make Chicken Pakora

To make takeaway style pakora, chicken mini filllets or sliced chicken breast are marinated in a variety of spices for 1 hour, or ideally overnight. Next, the marinated chicken pieces are coated in a batter made with gram flour, plain flour and water. The chicken is deep fried until just cooked through. At this stage, the chicken pakora can be finished immediately, or set aside until needed. To finish, fry the pakora again for a few minutes to heat through and become extra crispy on the outside. This finishing step is convenient, and means the pakora can be made ahead and finished when desired.

Step 1: Chicken Marinade

In a large bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon basaar style curry powder1/2 teaspoon cumin powder1/2 teaspoon coriander powder1/4 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon paprika1/8 teaspoon chilli powder1/4 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder1/2 teaspoon sea salt1 generous teaspoon garlic & ginger paste1/4 teaspoon mint sauce1/4 teaspoon tamarind paste1 teaspoon sunflower oil and 2 teaspoons water. Mix well until combined. Add 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets, each sliced into 5-6 strips (or equivalent mini chicken fillets) and mix well until evenly coated. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 1 hour, or ideally overnight.

Step 2: Chicken Pakora Mix

Heat oil for deep frying to 180C. In a separate large bowl, add 8 tablespoons gram flour6 tablespoons plain flour and 1 generous teaspoon beetroot powder. Mix briefly, then add cold water as required to form a thin paste. Dust the marinated chicken with a little more plain flour and mix well. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the prepared paste and mix well until the chicken is coated. The mix will appear patchy around the chicken, but will seal and form a crispy crust upon hitting the hot oil.

Step 3: Fry Chicken Pakora

Carefully drop the coated chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry for about 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove the pakoras from the oil with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. At this stage, the chicken pakora can be finished immediately, or set aside to cool completely and stored in the fridge until required.

Step 4: Finish Chicken Pakora

To finish the pakoras, heat oil for deep frying to 180C. Carefully drop the chicken pakora pieces into the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes, until heated through and crispy. Remove from the oil with tongs or a slotted spoon and arrange on a serving plate. Garnish the chicken pakora with thinly sliced onion and fresh coriander and serve with pink pakora sauce and fresh lemon wedges.

I hope you’ll try this Indian restaurant / kebab shop style chicken pakora recipe. If you do, let me know in the comments how it went!


Chicken Pakora in a serving tray with sliced onion, coriander, a lemon wedge and pink pakora sauce.

Chicken Pakora (Indian Takeaway / Kebab Shop Style)

A kebab shop classic, this Indian takeaway chicken pakora recipe is perfect for a starter or side dish. Serve it with pink pakora sauce for a faithful Indian restaurant recreation!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish, Snack, Starter, Appetiser, Accompaniment
Cuisine: Indian, Kebab Shop, British Indian, Scottish Indian
Keyword: air fried chicken, glasgow pakora, paroka, chicken pakora
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Resting Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12 pieces

Equipment

  • 1 Deep Fryer

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 1/4 teaspoon basaar style curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon chilli powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 generous teaspoon garlic & ginger paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon mint sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon tamarind paste
  • 1 teaspoon sunflower oil
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets, each sliced into 5-6 strips (or equivalent mini chicken fillets) 300g total weight

Pakora

  • 8 tablespoons gram flour
  • 6 tablespoons plain flour
  • 1 generous teaspoon beetroot powder
  • cold water as required
  • Oil for deep frying
  • 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped
  • lemon wedges to serve

Instructions

Marinade

  • In a large bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon basaar style curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon chilli powder, 1/4 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1 generous teaspoon garlic & ginger paste, 1/4 teaspoon mint sauce, 1/4 teaspoon tamarind paste, 1 teaspoon sunflower oil and 2 teaspoons water. Mix well until combined. Add 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets, each sliced into 5-6 strips (or equivalent mini chicken fillets) and mix well until evenly coated. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 1 hour, or ideally overnight.

Pakora

  • Heat oil for deep frying to 180C. In a separate large bowl, add 8 tablespoons gram flour, 6 tablespoons plain flour and 1 generous teaspoon beetroot powder. Mix briefly, then add cold water as required to form a thin paste. Dust the marinated chicken with a little more plain flour and mix well. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the prepared paste and mix well until the chicken is coated. The mix will appear patchy around the chicken, but will seal and form a crispy crust upon hitting the hot oil.
  • Carefully drop the coated chicken pieces into Oil for deep frying. Fry for about 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove the pakoras from the oil with tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. At this stage, the pakoras can be finished immediately, or set aside to cool completely and stored in the fridge until required.
  • To finish the pakoras, heat oil for deep frying to 180C. Carefully drop the chicken pakora pieces into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, until heated through and crispy. Remove from the oil with tongs or a slotted spoon and arrange on a serving plate. Garnish with 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced and 1 small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped and serve with pink pakora sauce and lemon wedges.

Notes

Cooked chicken pakora keeps well for up to 2 days in the fridge.  Reheat in hot oil (180C for 2 minutes, or at 200C in an oven or airfryer for 8-10 minutes).
Beetroot powder gives a delicious vibrant red colour to fried chicken pakora.

Chicken Pakora Recipe FAQ

How do Indian takeaways make chicken pakora bright red in colour?
Usually with food colouring! You can use a touch of red or orange food colouring to add an attractive colour to your pakora, or use beetroot powder to add natural colour.

What is the pink sauce that comes with pakora?
Pink pakora sauce! It’s an essential part of the pakora experience. Pakora sauce is a yogurt based sauce typically made with ingredients like tomato ketchup, mint sauce, chilli powder and spices. You can use this Pink Pakora Sauce recipe.


Do you like this Indian restaurant style chicken pakora recipe? If so, buying a copy of my book might appeal to you! In The Takeaway Secret you can find a host of restaurant and takeaway style recipes that you can make at home. You’ll learn how to make doner kebabs, thin crust pizza, fried chicken , pilau rice and more! You can buy The Takeaway Secret in paperback or kindle form here.

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