Rice pakora recipe with step by step photos. These are fried fritters or pakoras made from cooked rice or leftover cooked rice, gram flour, herbs and spices.
These rice pakoras have a crisp texture from out and are soft from within. They are so good, you won’t come to know that these pakoras are made from rice. I make these pakoras when I have some leftover rice. I find it a good way to use leftover rice and not throw them.
I don’t use a day old leftover rice as it is best to eat freshly cooked rice as a healthy eating practice. So if there is any rice left after lunch then I use this remaining cooked rice to make fritters on the same evening as a tea time snack.
I prepare many recipes with leftover rice like idli, appams, kheer, cutlets and these pakoras. Talking of pakoras from leftovers, we also make pakoras from leftover chapatis or rotis.
These rice pakoras are quick to prepare and make for a nice brunch or evening snack.
Best served with green chutney or tomato sauce or dry onion-garlic chutney or mint chutney or tamarind chutney. You can also have them with roti or with the bread.
How to make rice pakora
1. Take the rice in a small bowl or pan. Mash the rice with your hands or with a spoon. Mashing the rice gives a soft texture to the pakoras.
Its always better to use rice which are cooked really well. If the rice appears dry after removing from the fridge, then just sprinkle some water on it and microwave for a few minutes.
2. Then add following ingredients to the cooked rice:
- 5 tablespoons of besan (gram flour)
- 1 medium-sized finely chopped onion (or ½ cup finely chopped onion)
- 1 inch finely chopped or grated ginger
- 1 chopped green chili (or ½ teaspoon red chili powder)
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds) – optional
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- salt as required
3. Mix well and keep aside for 8 to 10 minutes. The onions would release their juices and make the mixture a bit soft. Then you can add water as required.
4. Add water as required.
5. Stir and mix very well.
Frying rice pakoda
6. In a kadai or frying pan heat oil. You can use any neutral-flavored oil with a high smoking point. Keep the heat to medium or medium-high.
When the oil becomes medium hot, then take spoonfuls of the pakora batter and drop the batter mixture in the oil.
Depending upon the size of kadai you can add more or less pakora batter while frying. Don’t overstuff the kadai and keep some space between the fritters.
7. Let the pakora get cooked, browned lightly and then you turn them over and continue to fry.
You will have to flip them a few times for even cooking. Deep fry till the rice pakoras have become crisp and golden.
Once done then using a slotted spoon remove the pakoras draining the extra oil in the kadai.
Then place the fried fritters on kitchen paper towels so that they absorb any extra oil. This way fry the fritters in batches.
8. Serve rice pakora hot with green chutney or tomato sauce or mint chutney or coriander chutney. We also like to have them with ginger tea as shown in the photo below.
You can also have them with roti or bread slices. Best to have them hot as on cooling you won’t get the best
If you are looking for more Pakora recipes then do check:
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Rice Pakora
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice (can be freshly cooked rice which has cooled down or leftover cooked rice)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped, or ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 green chili chopped or ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 inch ginger – finely chopped or grated
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds) – optional
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 5 tablespoon besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
- 5 to 6 tablespoon water or as required
- salt as required
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
making rice pakora batter
- Take the rice in a small bowl or pan. Mash the rice with your hands or with a spoon. Mashing the rice gives a soft texture to the pakoras.
- Its always better to use rice which are cooked really well.
- If the rice appears dry after removing from fridge, then just sprinkle some water on it and microwave for a few minutes.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients to the rice – besan/gram flour, chopped onions & ginger, coriander leaves, green chilies and all the spice powders. Add salt.
- Mix well and keep aside for for 8 to 10 minutes. The onions would release their juices and make the mixture a bit soft. Then you can add water as required.
- After adding water, stir and mix very well.
frying rice pakora
- Heat oil for frying in a kadai or pan.
- When the oil becomes medium hot, then take spoonfuls of the pakora batter and drop it in oil. Keep the temperature to medium to medium-high heat.
- Let the rice pakora get cooked & browned lightly and then you turn them over and continue to fry. You will need to flip them a few times so that they are evenly cooked.
- Deep fry till the rice pakoda are crisp and golden. Then remove them using a slotted spoon draining extra oil in the kadai.
- Drain on kitchen paper towels so that any extra oil is absorbed.
- Serve rice pakora with green chutney or tomato sauce or tamarind chutney or mint chutney. They can also be served with roti or bread.
Notes
- If making for kids, then skip the green chilies or red chili powder.
- In case the pakora mixture becomes thin, then one or two tbsp of gram flour (besan).
- If the mixture appears thick, then add a few teaspoons of water.
- The recipe can be doubled or tripled.
Hello !
I just made these! So easy and so so yummm! Perfect for this rainy morning and family was delighted to have this ‘treat’ on a busy week day morning 🙂
Thank you for yet another simple but delicious recipe.
Much Love!
Thank you Shubhi. Yes these are yum and perfect for a monsoon snack. Most welcome.
I added fresh mint leaves finely chopped also added bits of slightly crushed pomegranate seeds
Just tried the roti pakodas..The pieces coated with the spicy batter and fried tasted too good…Enjoyed it as an evening snack with tea…Thanks for this innovative recipe.
thank you winnie for letting me know. i am glad that you enjoyed the roti pakora. there are many recipes you can make with leftover chapatis. sometimes, i also make wraps or rolls with roti. fillings can be varied and you can have a mexican style burrito or a chinese style wrap or even a wrap suiting indian taste buds.
Thanks for taking out time from your busy schedule to answer my query promptly and in detail …i have leftover rotis very often and wanted to try something new..can try this next time…Thanks once again and a big God bless!!
welcome winnie and do let me know how the roti pakora turns out for you.
Tried this recipe as I had some leftover rice.turned out so crispy and yummy.makes for a good evening snack with a cup of hot tea.just curious to know how pakodas are made from leftover rotis as mentioned by you in this post.
yes rice makes for tasty pakora. with roti, just cut them in 1 to 1.5 inches strips. keep the length to 3 to 4 inches of the strips. dip them in besan batter so that they are coated well with the batter. then deep fry. in the besan batter, add ajwain (carom seeds), a pinch of hing, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. for some spice and variation, you can add green chillies, ginger and coriander leaves.
thanks for the feedback and rating.
I feel you should publish a book with all your recipes.. I will be the first to buy.. 🙂
Thanks Angel
Wow!!! what a simple recipe….we went to Tirupati in AP n ate these pakoras….really yummy.my daughter liked it very much….surely going to make….thanks dear
Welcome Deepti. Nice to know this.
Usually I make some kind of fried rice with my leftover rice but today I wanted something different so I tried this recipe. It’s perfect for spontaneous leftover cooking because all the ingredients are staples. The only thing I never heard of is carom… I replaced it with nigella as I love it in baked and fried stuff.
The pakoras turned out sooo beautiful and delicious! It was my first time making pakoras and I’m so happy I found this recipe.
Thank you for recipes – they make my life as a vegan so much brighter!
Laura from Germany
thanks a lot laura for this beautiful comment. nigella seeds can be added in pakoras. they give a very good taste. carom seeds are also known as bishops’ weeds. you can add thyme as a substitute for carom seeds.
Yummy and easy to prepare
I have tried ur veg biryani n shorba recipe n both of them have turned out very well.. My hubby loved it.. Thank u so much n vl wait for ur new recipes:-) could u pls post dal bati recipe plsss?????
welcome deepika. glad to know this. i have noted down the recipe request.
Lovely receipe!! Can I try with leftover pulao..
thanks bhakti. yes you can try.
This recipe is really awesome I tried it. Thank you sooo much!!
welcome melissa
What a use of left over rice.sounds yummy.will surely try it.
thanks shazia
Very easy to make.. turned out very crispy and yummyyy 🙂 thank youu soo sooo much for dis simple n nyc recipe 🙂
welcome rohini. glad to know this.
Hey, lovely lay out and photography!! To not to mention a very straight forward and real approach to the recipes. I am sitting here torturing myself – feeling hungry after dinner 😉
thanks diva for this sweet feedback. do try some recipes.
Tried this once and it turned out good! Easy snack and good way to use the rice too…
Can we add some boiled american sweet corn kernels also to this for some variety?
thanks nivedita. yes you can add them. i must say, good idea.
Nice recipe and beet thing is that now I can use my leftover rice.
thanks ritu
Very very interesting recipes I like it
thanks sakeena
very nice recipe and mouth watering
thanks anyonya
Amazing dear..i loved it
thanks prasanna
I love all ur recipes. Pls give kachchhi dabeli recipe.
welcome rani. there is a dabeli recipe in the blog. you can have a look.
crispy pakora.. Pass me for evening snacks
thanks veena 🙂