Chicken Pakora: Keto-Friendly Or Not?

Chicken pakora is a popular Indian street food, but is it keto? The traditional recipe is not keto-friendly, as it uses chickpea flour (also known as gram or besan flour) for the batter, which is high in carbohydrates. However, it is possible to make a keto-friendly version by substituting almond flour for the chickpea flour. This simple swap maintains the texture and flavour of the original dish while reducing the carb count, making it a great option for those following a keto or low-carb diet.

Chicken Pakora batter made with almond flour

Chicken pakora is a popular Indian street food and appetiser. It is made by deep-frying chunks of tender chicken in batter until golden and crisp.

A traditional chicken pakora recipe uses a batter made from chickpea (gram) flour. However, this can be swapped out for almond flour to make the dish keto-friendly.

Ingredients

• Chicken
• Almond flour
• Spices and herbs (e.g. ginger, garlic, chilli, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, curry leaves, mint leaves)
• Eggs
• Oil for frying

Method

• Mix the chicken with the spices and herbs.
• Add the almond flour to the bowl and mix well.
• Add the eggs and blend to form a thick but smooth batter.
• Heat oil in a deep pan or wok.
• Fry the chicken pieces in the oil until golden brown and cooked through.
• Drain the pakoras on a paper towel or cooling rack.
• Serve with a dipping sauce such as raita, chutney, or sweet chilli sauce.

Tips

• Use ice-cold water or sparkling water in the batter to help keep it light and airy.
• Ensure the oil is hot enough before frying the chicken.
• Do not overcrowd the pan when frying, as this can affect the temperature of the oil and the crispiness of the pakoras.
• Drain the pakoras well after frying to remove excess oil.

Chicken Pakora batter made with chickpea flour

Chicken Pakora on the Keto Diet

Chicken pakora is a popular Indian street food that can be made keto-friendly by swapping out the traditional chickpea flour batter for a low-carb alternative.

The Traditional Chickpea Flour Batter

Pakoras are traditionally made with a batter from chickpea flour (also known as gram or besan flour) and then deep-fried. Other typical ingredients include onions, potatoes, plantain, paneer, cauliflower, or chilli peppers.

Keto-Friendly Batter

To make chicken pakora keto-friendly, the chickpea flour can be replaced with almond flour, which has a lower carb count (1 cup of chickpea flour contains 43g of net carbs, compared to 12g of net carbs in almond flour). This swap maintains the same texture as the original while keeping the dish low-carb and keto-friendly.

Chicken Pakora Batter Recipe with Chickpea Flour

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups Garbanzo / Chickpea Flour
• 1/4 cup White rice flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons hot curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

• Combine flours, spices, salt, baking powder, and cilantro in a large bowl. Add water, stirring well to form a thick batter.
• Allow the batter to sit for about 5 minutes to soften the bean flour.
• Slice chicken breasts into fingers or small pieces.
• Toss chicken pieces with additional garbanzo flour, shaking off any excess, then dredge in the chickpea flour batter.
• Heat vegetable oil to 365°F in a deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pan, ensuring there is at least 2-3" of oil.
• Carefully place the battered chicken pieces into the hot oil, frying in small batches for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
• Use a slotted metal spoon to transfer the fried chicken to paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Serve hot with cilantro-mint chutney or sweet chilli sauce.

Customizations

This recipe can be customised by adding spices like ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, cumin powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, black pepper, or Tandoori masala. You can also experiment with different types of oil, such as canola or peanut oil, and serve with dips like tamarind chutney.

Chicken Pakora cooking methods

Chicken pakora is a popular street food and appetiser in the Indian subcontinent. It is made by coating chicken pieces in a batter and deep frying them until golden and crisp. Here are some detailed cooking methods for making chicken pakora:

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make chicken pakora:

• Chicken: Use boneless, raw chicken cut into bite-sized pieces. Thighs or breasts can be used, depending on your preference.
• Flour: Traditionally, chicken pakora is made with gram (besan) flour. However, to make it keto-friendly, you can substitute it with almond flour. Other flours such as rice flour, cornflour, or cornstarch can also be used to add crunchiness to the dish.
• Spices: Common spices used in chicken pakora include salt, garlic (paste or salt), ginger (paste or minced), cumin, coriander powder, chilli powder or flakes, turmeric, garam masala, and baking powder or bicarbonate of soda.
• Herbs: Fresh coriander (cilantro), mint leaves, and curry leaves add flavour and fragrance to the dish.
• Eggs: Eggs are used as a binding agent and to coat the chicken pieces.
• Oil: Vegetable oil or your preferred oil for deep frying.
• Other ingredients: Onions, green chillies, and lemon juice can also be added for extra flavour.

Preparation

• Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, spices, and herbs. Mix well and taste test the mixture, adjusting the seasonings as needed.
• Add liquid ingredients: Add the eggs, lemon juice, and a small amount of water to the dry mixture. Stir well to form a thick batter. The batter should be stiff and dough-like, not too runny.
• Coat the chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the batter and coat them well. Make sure the chicken is well-coated by using your hands or a spoon to spread the batter evenly.
• Heat the oil: In a deep pan or wok, heat the oil for deep frying. The oil should be moderately hot—around 350°F (180°C). Test the temperature by dropping a small piece of batter into the oil; it should sizzle and rise to the surface slowly without browning quickly.
• Fry the chicken: Gently slide the coated chicken pieces into the hot oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Fry for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the coating is golden brown and crisp.
• Drain and serve: Remove the chicken pakora from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel or a cooling rack. Serve hot with your choice of chutney or sauce, such as green chutney, sweet chilli sauce, or raita.

Tips for crispy chicken pakora:

• Avoid using too much onion in the batter as it can release moisture and make the pakoras soggy.
• Use rice flour or corn flour for extra crispiness.
• Ensure the oil is at the right temperature to prevent the pakoras from browning too quickly or becoming hard and chewy.
• Fry the chicken pakora in batches to maintain the oil temperature and ensure even cooking.
• Drain the fried pakoras on a paper towel or cooling rack to absorb excess oil.

Chicken Pakora dipping sauces

Chicken pakora is a popular Indian dish that can be served as a starter, side, or even a light lunch. While the traditional recipe for chicken pakora uses chickpea flour, a keto-friendly version can be made by substituting almond flour for a low-carb alternative.

Now, onto the dipping sauces! There are several types of sauces that pair well with chicken pakora, and they can be made in a variety of colours, including red, pink, and green. Here are some ideas for chicken pakora dipping sauces:

Raita

A simple raita is a popular choice to balance out the spice and crispiness of the chicken pakora. To make a raita, mix plain yoghurt with cucumber, coriander, and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. You can also add a pinch of cumin and some grated ginger to give it a kick.

Red Pakora Sauce

This sauce is commonly served with Indian rice crackers or crisps, and it's likely that you've enjoyed it before with poppadoms. To make this sauce, mix together ketchup, yoghurt, mint sauce, and chilli powder. You can adjust the amounts to your taste preferences, and even add a touch of sugar and lemon juice to balance the flavours.

Pink Sauce (aka Scottish Pink Pakora Sauce)

This sauce is similar to the red pakora sauce but with a twist. To make a pink sauce, simply add yoghurt to the red sauce mixture. The white yoghurt combined with the ketchup creates a gorgeous pink dipping sauce.

Green Pakora Sauce

For a vibrant green sauce, you can use either a mint sauce or a mint chutney as a base. Alternatively, blend spinach, garlic, and onions to achieve the same colour while adding extra flavour.

There you have it! Four delicious dipping sauce options to accompany your chicken pakora. Each sauce offers a unique flavour profile, so feel free to experiment and find your favourite. Enjoy!

Chicken Pakora nutrition information

Chicken pakora is a delicious snack, starter, or appetiser. It can be made keto by swapping out the gram (besan) flour with almond flour, which provides a crispy coating while keeping the dish low-carb and keto-friendly.

A keto chicken pakora recipe yields the following nutrition information per serving:

• Calories: 291.9kcal
• Carbohydrates: 9.4g
• Protein: 18.2g
• Fat: 21.2g
• Saturated Fat: 3.9g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g
• Trans Fat: 0.1g
• Cholesterol: 122.7mg
• Sodium: 439.1mg
• Potassium: 214.8mg
• Fibre: 3.7g
• Sugar: 2g
• Vitamin A: 852.2IU
• Vitamin C: 28.4mg
• Calcium: 99.1mg
• Iron: 2.2mg
• Net Carbs: 5.7g

Non-keto chicken pakora from various UK supermarkets provides the following nutrition information per 100g:

• Asda: Calories: 245kcal | Fat: 11.70g | Carbs: 16.60g | Protein: 16.70g
• Morrisons: Calories: 56kcal | Fat: 2.90g | Carbs: 2.90g | Protein: 4.50g
• Tesco: Calories: 219kcal | Fat: 5.90g | Carbs: 15.20g | Protein: 25.10g
• Marks & Spencer: Calories: 192kcal | Fat: 8.10g | Carbs: 2.20g | Protein: 25.20g
• Sainsbury's: Calories: 208kcal | Fat: 9.40g | Carbs: 3.70g | Protein: 26.10g

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