Onion Pakoda Recipe | South Indian Onion Pakoda | Vengaya Pakoda - Easy Tea Time Snack Recipe

Onion Pakoda/Vengaya Pakoda is a quick and easy to make Instant tea time savory snack. This can be prepared in no time if you have besan flour and rice flour in hand. Not only as a snack, this onion pakoda makes a perfect side dish for any south Indian Variety rice, Rasam & Rice, Sambar Sadham etc.,I usually make Onion Pakora,north Indian style Pakora that is crispy and slightly soft texture. But this Onion Pakoda is crispy and crunchy ones that is similar to the ones we get in our Tea Kadai/Tea shops, Bakery Shops in Tamil Nadu. In salem(my home town), you can find this flavorful onion pakoda in any bakery shop, tea stall during noon & evening time. There are few bakery shops in Town area & Agraharam street where they prepare fresh pakoda every day. V is more fond of deep fried snacks and this onion pakoda is his most favorite of all snacks. But i rarely make it for him and I usually prepare the Pakoras/bajji kind of snack that is served with Chaat Chutneys or ketchup.

So this time, I prepared for him and to share it here on my blog. This Vengaya Pakoda doesn't require any dipping, crunchy and flavorful snack. Here,I used onions but you can also use cabbage to make Cabbage Pakoda, Spinach or any greens to make Keerai Pakoda. And Munthiri Pakoda with addition of Cashew nuts. I have already shared Cashew Almond Pakoda for kids, Bittergourd Pakoda/Pavakkai Pakoda really good snack for diabetic people.

Onion Pakoda Recipe

Prep Time : 10 minutes | Cook Time : 20-25 minutes

Recipe Category : Snack/Side dish

Serves   3

Ingredients

1. Onion   3 medium sized or 200gm(thinly sliced)
2. Besan Flour/Gram Flour/Kadala maavu   1 cup
3. Rice Flour/Arisi Maavu  1/3 cup + 2 tbsp
4. Butter or Shortening or Ghee   1-2 tsp
5. Baking Soda or cooking soda  a pinch
6. Chilli Powder   1/2 tsp
7. Fennel seeds   1/4 tsp(crushed)
8. Curry leaves   1 sprig(finely chopped)
9. Cilantro    2 tbsp(finely chopped)
10. Salt  to taste
11. Hing/Perungayam   a generous pinch
12. Oil    to deep fry

Method

• Heat oil in a kadai to deep fry, keep it in medium heat and start chopping onions.
• Slice onion into thin slices(cut in length wise), try to slice each slices evenly and chop curry leaves, cilantro and keep ready.
• Now in a mixing bowl, add gram flour, rice flour, salt, hing, baking soda,crushed fennel seeds,softened butter and mix everything well.

• Then add onion, curry leaves, cilantro and mix everything well with flour.
• The moisture from the onion is enough to bind but wet your hand and mix the flour or if needed sprinkle few drops of water.
• I usually wet my hand in running water and mix the flour. Also, i do not mix all the flour-onion with water, just mix small portions or else the moisture from the onion will make the dough loose and you cannot get crispy and crunchy pakoda.

• The onion-flour mixture should be thick(see above pic).
• Now check the oil by dropping a piece of flour mix, if it comes up immediately then the oil is ready to fry.
• To the hot oil carefully drop small pieces of dough or sprinkle the dough randomly to make onion thool pakoda and fry them till turn crisp and golden brown.

• Fry them in medium hot oil until it turns golden brown and crisp.
• Then remove from the oil and drain it in a paper towel and serve it warm with hot chai or coffee.

Notes:
For Vegan, you can use either shortening or hot oil.
Instead of chilli powder you can also use finely chopped green chillies.
You can also add 2-3 tbsp chopped cashew nuts.
I used yellow onions, you can use red onions or white onions.