• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Beyond Flour
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Us
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • All Recipes
  • Shop
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Contact Us
×

Home » Recipes » Indian

Gobi Pakora

Published: Sep 29, 2022

Note: This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.

Sharing is caring!

  • Yummly
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Tumblr
Jump to Recipe -

Gobi pakora - deep fried cauliflower fritters - are an easy and TASTY Indian snack food. This recipe uses both a flavorful batter & marinade.

A plate of gobi pakora.

I’ve been making a ton of crispy pakoras lately, par cooking them and freezing them as the perfect snack to pop into an air fryer when we’re craving it.

I figure it’s about time to update my collection of posted pakora & pakoda recipes. I’ve had 3 posted for a decade, then kind of dropped the ball on posting the rest of

Whoops!

Anyway, today it’s all about the cauliflower - or “Gobi”.

Whether you know this as cauliflower pakora, cauliflower pakoda, gobhi ke pakode, gobi pakoda, or even just cauliflower fritters, these crispy gobi pakoras are super easy recipe to make.

My gobi pakora recipe involves pre-cooking caulflower florets with a mix of spices, basically marinating them as they cook.

From there, it’s a quick dunk in an easy, flavourful batter (naturally gluten-free!), then fried up into crispy fritters - perfect with a bit of green chutney to dip them in.

Let’s get to it!

A plate of cauliflower pakora.

Ingredients

If you do any Indian cooking, these are really basic ingredients that you likely have on hand. If not, they should be easy to find in most grocery stores.

I have a few notes on some of the main ingredients:

Fresh Cauliflower

Cauliflower - or Gobi - is the base of this recipe. Personally, I like to use fresh cauliflower florets - gobi florets - rather than frozen.

I just find that frozen cauliflower tends to be a bit more mushy after cooking, and I prefer the texture of the fresh.

That said, if you’re looking to use up some frozen cauliflower florets, just thaw and drain them well before using. I’d also cut the first round of cooking time in half.

Flours

Gobi Pakora is a naturally gluten free dish, using both Chickpea Flour / Garbanzo Bean Flour, and White Rice Flour.

If you normally do any gluten free baking, you’ll likely already have the white rice flour, and have probably have come across the bean flour.

Both should be available from larger grocery stores, in the gluten free section.

The garbanzo flour is also readily available from Indian / South Asian grocery stores, where it’s known as Besan flour.

Herbs, Spices, etc

I use a fairly basic mix of seasonings to punch up the flavour in this gobi pakora, as a base recipe:

Fresh cilantro (coriander)
Ginger Garlic Paste
Curry Powder
Carom Seeds
Coriander Powder
Cayenne Pepper

... But I tend to see pakora batter as a free-form thing, and will add other seasonings depending on what I’m feeling like at the time.

If I want a really bright, cheerful yellow batter, I’ll add some Turmeric Powder.

If I’ve in the mood for spicy, I’ll add some extra cayenne, or use Red Chili Powder. Sometimes I’ll finely - very finely! - mince up some green chilies.

Sometimes I’ll add Cumin Seeds or
Fennel Seeds for a bit of extra flavor and crunch.

Some Garam Masala Powder or Ground Cumin adds a bit of depth.

Really, as long as you end up in the range of “right” texture, you can flavor the batter however you like!

Note: You’ll also need salt and baking powder.

Oil for Deep Frying

I recommend using vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or peanut oil for frying your cauliflower pakora.

They all have a high smoke point, and are great for deep frying in general.

A plate of gobi pakora.

Equipment

As these are generally deep fried, you’ll need something to do THAT in.

I used to use a deep fryer for making pakoras, but then I moved to a house with a very small kitchen.

No longer able to justify the use of counter space, I sold the fryer and now just use a heavy bottomed pot.

The nice thing about using an actual deep fryer is that they generally have built in temperature control, so you can really set it and forget it.

This is definitely not the case when using a pot, so I use a IR Thermometer to keep track of what temperature the oil is.

A candy or deep frying thermometer also works.


A plate of gobi pakora.

How to Make Gobi Pakora

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, this is the pictorial walk through, with step by step photos.

Chickpea Batter:

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, cilantro, spices, salt, and baking powder.

Add water and ginger-garlic paste to the dry ingredients, stir well to form a thick, smooth batter, set this gram flour batter aside to soften.

A 5 part image showing the batter being mixed.

Assembly:

Cut cauliflower into bite sized pieces of cauliflower, place into a microwave safe dish.

Toss these small florets with curry powder, cayenne powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cover with plastic and microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Drain well, transfer to paper towels, and allow to cool to room temperature.

A 4 part image showing the cauliflower being sectioned, tossed with spices, and cooked.

Start heating your oil to 350 F – you’ll want at least 2-3″ of oil in your pot or deep fryer.

When I’m using a pot - rather than a deep fryer - I’ll usually start it on medium high heat, then bring it down to medium heat as it gets closer to the right temperature.

Dip cooled cauliflower in the thick batter and carefully transfer them to the preheated oil, cooking in small batches.

Note: If your batter is too thick, add a little water. You want to use just enough water to make it the consistency of pancake batter.

Fry in hot oil for a few minutes on each side, until crispy and golden brown.

A 4 part image showing the cauliflower being dipped and deep fried.

Use a metal slotted spoon to transfer hot gobi pakora to paper towel to absorb extra oil.

Allow oil to come back up to temperature, repeat with remaining cauliflower.

Serve hot, with green coriander chutney (cilantro chutney / mint chutney), tamarind chutney, tomato sauce, or even tomato ketchup.

To Cook in an Air Fryer

Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.

Follow the recipe up to the dipping stage. Once you let the batter drip off, place the dipped cauliflower pieces on your prepared baking sheets.

Once all cauliflower is dipped, freeze for a few hours, until frozen through.

Once frozen, you can either air fry them immediately, or transfer to a freezer bag for longer term storage.

To air fry, preheat air fryer to 400 F

Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray, arrange battered cauliflower pieces in the basket, leaving a bit of room between each. Spray with pan spray.

Air fry for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.


Leftovers

Leftover gobi pakora can be cooled to room temperature before being transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge.

Will keep for a few days, best when reheated in an air fryer.

A plate of cauliflower pakora.

More Gluten-Free Indian Food Recipes

Craving some curry, pakoras, and chutney? I’ve got some delicious Indian Recipes for you!

Aloo Pakora
Butter Chicken
Chicken Pakora
Chicken Shahi Korma
Cilantro Chicken
Cilantro-Mint Chutney
Corn Pakora
Cucumber Raita
Gluten-Free Samosas
Mango Lassi Popsicles
Mixed Vegetable Pakora
Mushroom Pakora
Onion Pakoda
Palak Pakoda
Paneer Pakora

... I even have a few diet friendly adaptations on my low carb blog, Low Carb Hoser:

Keto Butter Chicken
Low Carb Chicken Korma
Keto Chicken Biryani
Low Carb Shrimp Curry

A plate of gobi pakora.

Share the Love!

Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @BeyondFlourBlog - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and a comment!

A plate of cauliflower pakora.

A plate of gobi pakora.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Gobi Pakora

Gobi pakora - deep fried cauliflower fritters - are an easy and TASTY Indian snack food. This recipe uses both a flavorful batter & marinade.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 128kcal

Equipment

  • Deep Fryer or heavy bottomed pot

Ingredients

Batter:

  • 1 ¼ cups Garbanzo bean flour
  • ¼ cup White rice flour
  • 2 tablespoon Finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon Curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Carom seeds optional
  • ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Cayenne more, if you lke
  • 1 cup Warm water
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste

Assembly:

  • 1 head Cauliflower
  • 1 teaspoon Curry powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Cayenne powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Coriander powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Oil for deep frying

Instructions

Batter:

  • In a large bowl, combine flours, cilantro, spices, salt, and baking powder. Add water and ginger-garlic paste, stir well to form a thick batter, set aside to soften.

Assembly:

  • Cut cauliflower into bite sized cauliflower pieces, place into a microwave safe dish.
  • Toss with curry powder, cayenne powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cover with plastic and microwave on high for 4 minutes.
  • Drain well, transfer to paper towels, and allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Start heating your oil to 350F – you’ll want at least 2-3″ of oil in your pot or deep fryer.
  • Dip cooled cauliflower in the batter and carefully transfer them to the preheated oil, cooking in small batches.
  • Fry for a few minutes on each side, until crispy and golden brown.
  • Use a slotted metal spoon to transfer fried pakora to paper towels. Allow oil to come back up to temperature, repeat with remaining cauliflower.
  • Serve hot, with cilantro-mint chutney.

Notes

Due to software limitations, the nutritional information does not include deep frying.  Expect that the oil will add some fat and calories to the total.

Nutrition

Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 522mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 104IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

A plate of cauliflower pakora.

Related posts:

Several sticks of gluten-free paneer pakora - deep fried cheese sticks - on a blue plate.Paneer Pakora Several strips of gluten-free chicken pakora on a blue plate. They are golden deep fried, with flecks of green cilantro.Chicken Pakora Several Mixed vegetable pakora, on a blue plate.Vegetable Pakora A plate of onion pakoda.Onion Pakoda
« Aloo Pakora
Mushroom Pakora »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Marie Porter


Author of the "Beyond Flour" series of gluten-free cookbooks, autistic polymath, and cat mom.

More about me →

Join us on Social Media

Facebook logo, a white F on a blue background. Instagram icon - a stylized white camera image on blue background. Pinterest Logo - White on red background. Twitter logo - a white stylized bird icon on an aqua background.

More Than Poutine: A Uniquely Canadian Cookbook.
Learn to sew with spandex

META

Site Admin

Logout

Entries Feed

Comments Feed


Most Recent Posts

  • Two oblong ceramic ramekins of gluten-free cod au gratin. Cod is in a creamy, cheesy sauce, topped with crushed chips, more cheese, and savoury.
    Cod Au Gratin
  • A close up photo of ahi tuna crudo, with mango, avocado, jalapenos, and a citrus vinaigrette, served over cucumber slices.
    Tuna Crudo
  • A single mini Easter pavlova, topped with green coconut and cadbury mini eggs and a pink Peeps marshmallow.
    Easter Pavlovas
  • Pink, yellow, and blue chick shaped homemade peeps on a bed of green coconut.
    Marshmallow Peeps

We'd love to have you subscribe to our newsletter!

Footer

About

  • About Us
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Newsletter

  • Sign Up

    for emails and updates

Our Other Blogs

  • Autism Rants
  • Celebration Generation
  • Low Carb Hoser
  • Spandex Simplified

Note: This site is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for the site to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites. While I’ll only ever link to items that I, personally, wholeheartedly recommend, I do need to put that disclosure out there!

Copyright © 2020 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme