 Onion pakora | |
| Alternative names | Pakoda, pikora, bhajiya, pakodi, ponako, pakura, fakkura, phulauri, bora, chop |
|---|---|
| Type | Fritter |
| Course | Appetizer orsnack |
| Place of origin | South Asia[1][2][3] |
| Region or state | South Asia |
| Associatedcuisine | |
| Main ingredients |
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| Variations |
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| Similar dishes | Kyet thun kyaw Pholourie |
Pakora (pronounced[pəˈkɔːɽa]) is afritter originating from theIndian subcontinent. They are sold by street vendors and served in restaurants acrossSouth Asia.[5] They often consist of vegetables such as potatoes and onions, which are coated in seasonedgram flour batter and deep-fried.
Other spellings includepikora,pakoda, andpakodi, and regional names includebhaji,bhajiya,bora,ponako, andchop.
The wordpakoṛā is derived fromSanskrit पक्ववटpakvavaṭa,[6] a compound ofpakva ('cooked') andvaṭa ('a small lump') or its derivativevaṭaka, 'a round cake made ofpulse fried inoil orghee'.[7] The wordBhajji is derived from theSanskrit wordBharjita meaningfried.[8]
Some divergence of transliteration may be noted in the third consonant in the word. The sound is a hard 'da' in theTelugu language and the 'ra' sound would be an incorrect pronunciation. The sound is theretroflex flap[ɽ], which is written inHindi with the letter ड़, and inUrdu with the letter ڑ.
However, in theInternational 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/ɖ/. The occurrence of this consonant in the wordpakora has given rise to two common alternative spellings in English:pakoda, which reflects itsetymology, andpakora, which reflects itsphonology.
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.[9][10] Early known recipes come fromManasollasa (1130 CE) cookbook which mentions"Parika" (pakoda) and the method of preparing it with vegetables and gram flour.[11] Lokopakara (1025 CE) cookbook also mentions unique pakora recipe where gram flour is pressed into fish-shaped moulds and fried in mustard oil.[12]
Pakoras are made by coating ingredients, usually vegetables, in a spiced batter, and then deep frying them.
Common varieties of pakora useonion, masoor dal (lentil),[13] suji (semolina),[14] chicken,arbi root and leaves,eggplant, potato,chili pepper, spinach,paneer,cauliflower,mint,plantain or baby corn.[15]
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.
Pakoras are eaten as a snack or appetiser, often accompanied bychutney orraita. They are also offered withmasala chai to guests at Indian wedding ceremonies.
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A gram-flour fritter is known inTamil Nadu andSri Lanka aspakoda orbajji, inGujarat asbhajia, inMaharashtra asbhaji, and inAndhra Pradesh/Telangana andKarnataka asbajji orpakodi.PakodainBengal (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. InManipur, it is known asbora.
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