More Party Food
Chicken Pakora
Chicken pakora is one of my favourite snacks when I’m craving something crispy, spicy, and full of flavour. I marinate bite-sized pieces of chicken in yoghurt and spices, then coat them in a gram flour batter and fry until golden and crunchy. It’s bold, moreish, and perfect with a squeeze of lemon or a cooling dip. Whether I’m making a starter for friends or just treating myself, this pakora always hits the spot – hot, crispy, and packed with spice.
Ingredients
Chicken Pakora
- 1 kg chicken tenderloins or mini fillets
- 3 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp mild ground chilli
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp chickpea flour
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 2 egg whites
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- Chilli oil (optional)
Glasgow Pakora Sauce
- 150g natural yoghurt
- 3 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tsp mint sauce (or mint jelly)
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the chicken through the spices, garlic and lemon juice until well coated. Set aside to marinate for one hour.
- Add the chickpea flour, cornflour and egg whites to the chicken and mix through until the chicken is thoroughly coated with the mixture.
- Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add a small amount of chilli oil (optional) to the pot.
- Once hot, deep fry 2 to 3 pieces of chicken at a time for 8-10 minutes or until deep golden-red in colour, and cooked through.
- Garnish with freshly sliced onion and serve with Glasgow Pakora Sauce (below).
Glasgow Pakora Sauce
- Mix together all ingredients until well combined.
What I Cook With
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 350Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 499mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 47g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Chicken Pakora Recipe
From Glasgow to My Kitchen
One of the first things that blew my mind when I moved to Scotland was how normal it was to see chicken pakora at chip shops. Not just in Indian takeaways – we’re talking regular chippies, the kind you’d normally associate with deep-fried Mars Bars and battered sausages. And it’s not just available – it’s obsession level loved. Chicken pakora is practically a national obsession and when I first tried it, I understood immediately.
But like most things that come in polystyrene boxes, it’s a bit hit and miss. Sometimes it’s too greasy, sometimes dry, sometimes the chicken is questionable at best. So I did what any hungry girlie with too much time and a stocked spice cupboard does. I made it myself. And once I nailed the texture and flavour, it became our new special treat. Not just a lazy dinner, but a planned, crave-worthy occasion.
The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. There’s no batter to whisk. No eggs, no breadcrumbs. Just a spicy, vivid coating that clings to each piece like it was made for it. Because it was. The trick is to not expect it to behave like a traditional batter – it’s thick, it’s sticky, and it makes a right mess of your utensils – which is why I use chopsticks. Trust me. Wooden spoons and tongs just steal too much of the good stuff. Chopsticks keep things neat(ish) and let you coat every piece with care.
Sauce on the Side, Always
If you’ve never tried Scottish pakora sauce before, I’m about to rock your world. It’s pink. Like, aggressively pink. And it’s sweet, but not in a cloying way – it’s got this gentle tang, a little heat, and a breath of mint that somehow works perfectly with the deep-fried spice of the chicken. It’s strange, I’ll admit, but also, completely genius. Like Irn-Bru and square sausage, it’s one of those Scottish things you just have to experience to understand.
When I first encountered pakora sauce, I thought it had to be some kind of mistake. Who puts mint in a dipping sauce for chicken? But once you’ve dipped a crunchy piece of pakora into that neon elixir, you just get it. It cuts through the richness and lifts the whole thing. It’s also highly addictive and I keep a jar of it in the fridge because once you make it at home, you’ll want it on everything from chips to fish fingers.
Honestly, the pairing of chicken pakora and pakora sauce has saved more than a few of our evenings. It’s the food equivalent of putting on your cosiest hoodie, lighting a candle, and letting out a big sigh. It doesn’t solve the problem, but it makes it feel smaller. More manageable. And that, in times like these, is more than enough.
Cooking Through the Chaos
We’ve been in lockdown for just over two weeks now, and today brings with it an odd kind of grief. Today was meant to be my escape. My husband was supposed to be away in Liverpool for a work conference, and I was meant to be packing up my things, loading up my bestfriends truck with Maia curled up in her carrier, and heading back to Paisley. Back to the wee town I loved. Back to sanity. This move had been my secret plan since December, a little whisper of hope I’d clung to through the growing unhappiness. But Covid had other ideas, and now I’m still here, stuck in a house that hasn’t felt like home for far too long.
To cope, I’ve been cooking. And not just gentle therapeutic stews or quick pantry pasta. I’ve been craving noise in the kitchen, colour, spice, and deep-fried crunch. That’s where this chicken pakora comes in. It’s not just a recipe, it’s a lifeline – a big, messy, flavour-packed way to remind myself that joy still exists in small moments. And today, it shows up as vividly golden chicken with a crispy bite, dipped in a sauce so pink it’s basically fluorescent.
I never even knew pakora existed until I moved to Scotland. Now it’s our go-to takeaway order, especially when life feels too heavy for anything else. But this version? My version? It’s better than the chippy. Better than the slightly limp offerings in a foil tray. It’s homemade comfort that lets me pretend, just for a while, that everything is okay. Or at least, will be.
Ingredients Breakdown
Chicken tenderloins or mini fillets are perfect for this recipe, giving you juicy, tender bites every time. Their smaller size also means they cook evenly and quickly, which is a win when deep frying. The chicken soaks up all the flavour from the spice mix, and let me tell you, that first bite? Absolutely magic. It’s smoky, spicy, and just the right level of warming without punching you in the face.
The coating is made with chickpea flour and cornflour, which gives that crispy, golden texture we’re after. I mix in smoked paprika, mild ground chilli, turmeric, garam masala, ground coriander, fenugreek, ground ginger, and garlic salt. Then I add in minced garlic, lemon juice, and egg whites to bring it all together into a thick, spicy paste. It clings to the chicken perfectly. This isn’t your usual runny batter – it’s a proper coating that locks in all that flavour.
The pakora sauce is what ties the whole thing together. I make mine with natural yoghurt, tomato sauce, a touch of mint sauce or jelly, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of ground cumin. It’s tangy, sweet, cooling, and just a little bit odd in the best way. If you like a bit of heat, a drizzle of chilli oil doesn’t go astray either. But honestly? Even straight from the fridge, this sauce is addictive enough to eat by the spoonful.
This chicken looks delish! I loved fried chicken but have never had the pleasure of tasting this recipe. I am very excited to make it!
This chicken look so delicious and mouthwatering! Saving for later!
this looks so delish! now I can enjoy it in the US
This is delicious. I love the mixture of spices!
This is way better than any American version that I’ve had! Love how you really flavored up the chicken before frying! Just perfect!