Does gluten free flour work for deep frying?

Gluten free flour works REALLY well as a coating for deep fried items . Professional chefs often say gluten free flours produce better flour than wheat flour, and I have to say I fully agree. The final batter is crispy, golden and moreish.

Does chicken pakora contain gluten?

In partnership with Praveen Kumar. Made with strips of Britiish chicken breast marinated in a blend of South Asian spices including Garam Masala. The chcicken is then coated in a naturally gluten-free chickpea batter before being delicately fried.

What flour is pakora made from?

Directions. Sift chickpea flour into a medium bowl; mix in garlic, salt, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, and garam masala. Make a well in the center; gradually pour water into the well and mix to form a thick, smooth batter. Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Can you freeze chicken pakora?

You cannot store these chicken pakoras beyond a day, if you want to make them ahead for a large crowd, just prepare the batter, then toss the chicken into it and freeze until use . Before use remove from refrigerator and fry after it reaches room temperature.

What gluten free flour thickens best?

White rice flour : fine wheat substitute Made from finely milled white rice, rice flour is a great substitute for wheat flour. It works very well as a thickening agent because it prevents liquid separation – it is particularly good for soups, gravies and sauces but can also work for cakes, cookies and crackers.

What is a substitute for flour when deep frying?

Good substitutes for frying include cornstarch, potato starch, and rice flour . Alternatives in baking include rice flour, chestnut flour, and all-purpose flour. Keto-friendly substitutes include almond flour, chia seed flour, psyllium husk powder, hazelnut flour, coconut flour and flaxseed meal.

Does baking soda make pakoras crispy?

Baking soda: Makes the pakoras slightly fluffier while still keeping them crispy .

What is the difference between chicken tikka and chicken pakora?

Unlike Chicken Pakora, Chicken Tikka is not deep-fried but rather cooked on skewers , traditionally in a tandoor (clay oven) for that smoky flavor.

How do you store pakoras crispy for a long time?

5. Keep Them On A Wire Rack However, this makes them soggier as steam collects underneath them. The best way to keep them fresh for a longer time is to transfer them on a wire rack. So, the next time you make pakoras at home, keep these tips in mind!

What to eat with pakora?

To serve, ladle the dal onto plates with a spoonful of yoghurt and mango chutney alongside. Garnish with a lime wedge and chopped coriander, if using. Serve the pakoras on separate side plates, or as a starter.

What is the best flour for deep frying?

Rice flour and cornstarch work particularly well because they fry up crispier than wheat flour. They also absorb less moisture and fat during the frying process, making the products less greasy. This is why rice flour is often used when making tempura because it produces a very thin and crispy, dry crust.

Can gluten survive a deep fryer?

High heat will not eliminate gluten in the oil , so fryers used to make breaded or battered items would not be safe to use for gluten-free French fries, corn tortilla chips or other gluten-free items.

What gluten free flour is best for breading?

Gluten-free chefs swear by millet flour for breading pan fried meats and fish. It adds a light, almost sweet flavor and crumbly texture to foods, and is full of protein!

What gluten free flour is best for dredging?

Millet flour . It also works great with any dish that calls for dredging like this chicken fricassee.

Easy, Crispy Chicken Pakora Recipe [Gluten-Free!]

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Chicken Pakora is deceptively easy to make, and inherently gluten-free. The traditional flours used lend a better flavour & texture to the dish, than wheat flour!

Note: This recipe was first posted on my original blog, Celebration Generation, on March 21, 2013. It was transferred over to this blog - existing comments and all - on 9/29/2022, and most recently updated on 7/14/2023.

Remember when I went on my Pakora making binge, posted my Cilantro-Mint Chutney Recipe, promised recipes, and then procrastinated on it for a few months?

Well, I finally getting around to posting the final recipe from that... only 8 months later..

Anyway... here's my easy chicken pakora recipe!

Delicious chicken pakora - aka chicken pakodi or chicken pakoda - is a popular Indian street food . Tender chicken is battered - the batter including a blend of fragrant spices! - and fried into crunchy chicken bites.

Much like with my other crunchy pakoras, these fried chicken fritters are one of those food items that SHOULD in inherently gluten free, in restaurants - but the batter is often cut with wheat flour, and there’s often a risk of cross contamination.

Never fear, though!

This crispy chicken pakora is easy to make, and tastes quite authentic - it rivals any I’ve had in Indian restaurants!

As with all of my gluten-free pakora recipes, they're especially delicious with my Cilantro-Mint chutney!

Oh, and bonus?

If you leave the spice and cilantro out, and cut the chicken into chunks instead of fingers... these crunchy chicken pakoras
are a great substitute for chicken nuggets!

SO GOOD.

Ingredients

If you’ve cooked Indian food before, you’ll recognize the elements used n the crispy pakoras as fairly simple ingredients.

If you haven’t, no worries - these are all fairly basic ingredients that you should be able to find in pretty much any grocery store.

I do have a few notes for you on the following ingredients:

Chicken

I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this, which I generally cut into strips.

Sometimes I’ll just the chicken breast into chunks / chicken nuggets, but I generally prefer the chicken-to-coating ratio when done as chicken fingers.

That said, you can use whatever boneless chicken pieces you’d like - I’ve been told that people have a lot of success using boneless chicken thighs with this recipe.

Boneless is key, though - I’d avoid using bone-in chicken pieces.

Other than that, just keep a eye on the cooking. The times given are approximate, and will vary with the size of your chicken pieces.

The Flours

When done tradtionally, chicken pakora batter is naturally gluten free, using both Chickpea Flour / Garbanzo Bean Flour and White Rice Flour, rather than a wheat based all purpose flour.

Both ingredients are available in most large grocery stores - assuming they have a decent gluten free section.

Other than that, both are generally readily available at Indian / South Asian grocers. The chickpea flour would also be known as gram flour or besan / besan flour, in those shops.

Herbs, Dry Spices, Etc

I use just a couple basic Indian spices and herbs in this recipe, which I see as a base recipe (more on that in a minute!). At the very least, I use:

Oil for Frying

You’ll want an oil with a high smoke point when deep frying.

I recommend vegetable oil - that’s what I use - canola oil, or peanut oil.

Dips

It’s not part of the recipe, but who wants any kind of battered and deep fried chicken dish without dips?

Personally, I like my Cilantro Mint Chutney - a bright green chutney - to dip these in.

My husband loves Tamarind chutney, so we generally have both on hand.

Equipment

I used to use an actual deep fryer when making chicken pakora, but now that I’m in a smaller kitchen, I just use a heavy bottomed, deep pan.

Because this doesn’t have the built in temperature control that deep fryers do, I use an IR Thermometer to keep track of the temperature.

A candy/deep frying thermometer also works, though!

How to Make Chicken Pakora

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, this is a quick step by step walk through, in pictures!

Start heating your vegetable oil temperature to 365 F – you’ll want at least 2-3″ of oil in your pot or deep fryer.

Note: When I’m not using an actual deep fryer, I’ll usually start heating my oil over medium-high heat, then reduce it to medium as the oil approaches the right temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, spices, salt, baking powder, and cilantro. Add water, stir well to form a thick batter.

Allow batter to sit for 5 minutes or so, to soften the bean flour.

Slice your chicken breasts into fingers - or small pieces, as shown with this batch .

Toss chicken pieces with additional garbanzo flour - shaking off the excess - then dredge in the chickpea flour batter.

Allow excess pakora mixture to drip off each piece of chicken, before carefully transferring to the hot oil.

Fry in small batches for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Air Fryer Chicken Pakora

Place battered chicken pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet, freeze until soliid.

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 frozen chicken pieces in the basket, leaving a bit of room between each. Spray with pan spray.

Air fry for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

More Gluten-Free Indian Recipes

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

Aloo Pakora
Butter Chicken
Chicken Shahi Korma
Cilantro Chicken
Cilantro-Mint Chutney
Corn Pakora
Cucumber Raita
Gluten-Free Samosas
Gobi Pakora
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

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.

Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and a comment, and/or sharing the link on social media!

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5 from 3 votes

Easy Crispy Chicken Pakora

This Gluten-Free Chicken Pakora is deceptively easy to make. The flours used actually lend a better flavour and texture to the dish, than wheat flour would!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Resting time5 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 6 People

Calories: 205kcal

Author: admin

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups Garbanzo / Chickpea Flour
¼ cup White rice flour
1 ½ teaspoon hot curry powder
½ teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 cup water
3-4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts,trimmed
¼ cup additional garbanzo flour
Cilantro-Mint Chutney

Instructions

Start heating your vegetable oil to 365F – you’ll want at least 2-3″ of oil in your pot or deep fryer.
In a large bowl, combine flours, spices, salt, baking powder, and cilantro. Add water, stir well to form a thick batter.
Allow batter to sit for 5 minutes or so, to soften the bean flour.
Slice your chicken breasts into fingers, toss with additional garbanzo flour, then dredge in the batter.
Carefully transfer a few battered chicken fingers to the preheated oil.
Fry for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.
Use a slotted metal spoon to transfer fried chicken to paper towels.
Serve hot, with with cilantro-mint chutney.

Video

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.