View source for Pakora

{{Short description|Spiced fritter originally from the Indian subcontinent}}
{{see also|Bhaji}}
{{distinguish|Pacora}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Pakora
| image = Onion pakora - a.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Onion pakora
| alternate_name = {{csv|Pakoda|pikora|bhajiya|pakodi|ponako|pakura|fakkura|phulauri|bora|chop}}
| country = [[South Asia]]<ref name="britannica.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/pakora|title=Pakora - food|website=Britannica.com|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="seattletimes.com">{{cite web|first=Leora Y.|last=Bloom|url=http://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/pakoras-are-tasty-versatile-treats-from-india-that-work-well-as-appetizers-snacks-or-meals/|title=Pakoras are tasty, versatile treats from the Indian subcontinent that work well as appetizers, snacks or meals|date=10 May 2016|website=[[The Seattle Times]]|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Vir|last=Sanghvi|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/take-pride-in-the-bonda-or-pakora-it-is-our-gift-to-the-world/story-khxwM10l0NT8HLZ8ik9G7I.html|title=Take pride in the bonda or pakora. It is our gift to the world|date=18 April 2015|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=23 January 2018}}</ref>
| region = [[South Asia]]
| national_cuisine = {{ubl
| [[Bangladeshi cuisine|Bangladesh]]
| [[Indian cuisine|India]]
| [[Pakistani cuisine|Pakistan]]
| [[Nepali cuisine|Nepal]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://migrationology.com/hot-pink-puris-and-onion-pakoras-the-brightest-snack-youve-ever-seen/ | title=Hot Pink Puris and Onion Pakoras - the Brightest Snack You've Ever Seen? | date=29 August 2013 }}</ref>
| [[Trinidad and Tobago cuisine|Trinidad and Tobago]]
| [[Afghan cuisine|Afghanistan]]
}}
| course = [[Appetizer]] or [[snack]]
| type = [[Fritter]]
| served = 
| main_ingredient = {{hlist
| Vegetables
| gram flour
| spices
| onions
}}
| variations = {{ubl
| Potato
| Eggplant
| Onion
| Cauliflower
| Spinach
| Mixed vegetables
| Paneer
| Chicken
}}
| calories = 
| other = 
| similar_dish = [[Burmese fritters|Kyet thun kyaw]]<br>[[Pholourie]]
}}
'''Pakora''' ({{IPA|hns|pəˈkɔːɽa|pron}}) is a [[fritter]] originating from the [[Indian subcontinent]]. They are sold by street vendors and served in restaurants across [[South Asia]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian cooking|last=Devi|first=Yamuna|year=1999|publisher=E. P. Dutton|location=New York|isbn=0-525-24564-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/lordkrishnascuis00yamu/page/447 447–466, Pakoras: Vegetable Fritters]|url=https://archive.org/details/lordkrishnascuis00yamu/page/447}}</ref> They often consist of vegetables such as potatoes and onions, which are coated in seasoned [[gram flour]] batter and deep-fried.

Other spellings include '''pikora''', '''pakoda''', and '''pakodi''', and regional names include '''[[bhaji]]''', '''bhajiya''', '''bora''', '''ponako''', and '''chop'''.

==Etymology==
The word ''pakoṛā'' is derived from [[Sanskrit]] पक्ववट, ''pakvavaṭa'',<ref>{{cite book |title=The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary |editor=R. S. McGregor |editor-link=R. S. McGregor |year=1997 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-864339-5 |page=588}}</ref> a compound of ''pakva'' ('cooked') and ''[[Vada (food)|vaṭa]]'' ('a small lump') or its derivative ''vaṭaka'', 'a round cake made of [[legume|pulse]] fried in [[oil]] or [[ghee]]'.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary |last=Monier-Williams |first=Monier |author-link=Monier Monier-Williams |year=1995 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |location=[[New Delhi]] |isbn=81-208-0065-6 |page=914 |url=http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/index.html |access-date=30 June 2010}}</ref> The word ''Bhajji'' is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word ''Bharjita'' meaning ''fried''.<ref>[https://www.learnsanskrit.cc/translate?search=bharjita&dir=au Sanskrit Dictionary-Bharjita]. Learn Sanskrit. Retrieved 2 April 2025.</ref>

Some divergence of transliteration may be noted in the third consonant in the word. The sound is a hard 'da' in the [[Telugu language]] and the 'ra' sound would be an incorrect pronunciation. The sound is the [[retroflex flap]] {{IPAblink|ɽ}}, which is written in [[Standard Hindi|Hindi]] with the letter ड़, and in [[Urdu alphabet|Urdu]] with the letter ڑ.

However, in the [[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration]], the Hindi letter ड़ is transliterated as <[[ṛ]]>, popular or non-standard transliterations of Hindi use <d> for this sound, because etymologically, it derives from ड {{IPAslink|ɖ}}. The occurrence of this consonant in the word ''pakora'' has given rise to two common alternative spellings in English: ''pakoda'', which reflects its [[etymology]], and ''pakora'', which reflects its [[phonology]].

==History==
An early variation of pakora appears in Sanskrit literature and Tamil Sangam literature but the recipe is not clearly provided as they only mention it as 'a round cake made of pulse fried in oil' and 'crispy fried vegetables' which were served as part of the meals.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary |last=Monier-Williams |first=Monier |author-link=Monier Monier-Williams |year=1995 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |location=[[New Delhi]] |isbn=81-208-0065-6 |page=914 |url=http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/index.html |access-date=30 June 2010}}</ref><ref>Food habits as represented in Sangam literature by Ce Namacivayam, 1981</ref> Early known recipes come from [[Manasollasa]] (1130 CE) cookbook which mentions ''"Parika"'' (pakoda) and the method of preparing it with vegetables and gram flour.<ref name="Achaya2003">{{cite book|author=K.T. Achaya| author-link=K. T. Achaya| title=The Story of Our Food|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bk9RHRCqZOkC |year=2003| publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=978-81-7371-293-7|page=85}}</ref> Lokopakara (1025 CE) cookbook also mentions unique pakora recipe where gram flour is pressed into fish-shaped moulds and fried in mustard oil.<ref>Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India, pg151, Colleen Taylor Sen · 2015</ref>

==Preparation==
Pakoras are made by coating ingredients, usually vegetables, in a spiced batter, and then deep frying them.

Common varieties of pakora use [[onion]], masoor dal (lentil),<ref>{{cite web |title= Masoor Dal Pakora Recipe |url=https://bharatkirasoi.com/crispy-masoor-dal-pakoda/ |website= |date=27 August 2022 |access-date= 9 Jan 2023}}</ref> suji (semolina),<ref>{{cite web |title= Suji Pakora Recipe |date=22 September 2022 |url=https://bharatkirasoi.com/suji-pakoda/ |access-date= 5 Feb 2023}}</ref> chicken, [[Taro|arbi]] root and leaves, [[eggplant]], potato, [[chili pepper]], spinach, [[paneer]], [[cauliflower]], [[Mentha|mint]], [[Plantain (cooking)|plantain]] or baby corn.<ref name="Sophisticated Gourmet">{{cite web |last1=Siddiqi |first1=Kamran |title=Mom's Onion Pakora Recipe |url=https://www.sophisticatedgourmet.com/2016/05/onion-pakora-recipe/ |website=Sophisticated Gourmet |date=19 May 2016 |publisher=Sophisticated Gourmet |access-date=24 May 2020}}</ref> 

The batter is most commonly made with gram flour or a mixture of gram flour and rice flour but variants can use other flours, such as buckwheat flour. The spices used in the batter are up to the cook and may be chosen due to local tradition or availability; often these include fresh and dried spices such as chilli, fenugreek, ginger, cardamom, turmeric and coriander.

==Serving==
Pakoras are eaten as a snack or appetiser, often accompanied by [[chutney]] or [[raita]]. They are also offered with ''[[masala chai]]'' to guests at Indian wedding ceremonies.

==Regional names==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2021}}
A gram-flour fritter is known in [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Sri Lanka]] as ''pakoda'' or ''bajji'', in [[Gujarat]] as ''bhajia'', in [[Maharashtra]] as ''bhaji'', and in [[Andhra Pradesh]]/[[Telangana]] and [[Karnataka]] as ''[[bajji]]'' or ''pakodi''. ''Pakoda''in [[Bengal]] (some parts) "Jhal pitha" may be interpreted in these states as deep-fried balls of finely chopped onions, green chilis, and spices mixed in gram flour. In [[Manipur]], it is known as ''bora''.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Pakoramumbai.jpg|Pakoras being deep-fried in gram flour batter
File:Pakora (6005558506).jpg|Onion and green leaf pakoras
File:Taste of the Himalayas at farmers market - May 2018 - Stierch 07.jpg|Onion pakoras served with mint chutney
File:Chicken pakora in Jätkäsaari.jpg|Chicken pakoras
File:19th June 2015 Pakora.jpg|Close-up of spinach pakora
File:Aesthetic Pakoda.jpg|Onion pakora
File:Bread Pakoda 1.jpg|Bread pakora made by frying bread slices coated with gram flour
File:Pakoras in Jaipur.jpg|Pakoras sold in [[Jaipur]]
File:Food-Chicken-Pakoda.jpg|Another variety of chicken pakoras
File:Kadhipakora Rayagada Odisha 0017.jpg|Pakoras used in ''Kadhi Pakora'', a yogurt-based curry eaten with rice
File:Palak Pakoras.jpg|Spinach pakoras
File:Kadhi Pakora.jpg|''Kadhi Pakora'' : pakoras in a spiced yogurt gravy served with rice or roti
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
{{div col}}
*[[List of deep fried foods]]
*[[List of Indian dishes]]

* {{annotated link|Bhaji}}
* {{annotated link|Bread pakora}}
* {{annotated link|Haggis pakora}}
* {{annotated link|Pholourie}}
* {{annotated link|Samosa}}
* {{annotated link|Vada (food)|Vada}}

{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

{{Bangladeshi dishes}}
{{Pakistani dishes}}
{{Indian dishes}}
{{Doughnuts}}

[[Category:Indian snack foods]]
[[Category:Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian dishes of India]]
[[Category:Hindu cuisine]]
[[Category:South Asian cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian cuisine]]
[[Category:Indian fast food]]
[[Category:North Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Desi culture]]
[[Category:Stuffed dishes]]
[[Category:South Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi snack foods]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi fast food]]
[[Category:Pakistani snack foods]]
[[Category:Pakistani fast food]]
[[Category:Nepalese cuisine]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi cuisine]]
[[Category:Fritters]]