These baked vegetable pakoras are a delightful, healthier take on a classic fried snack. Packed with a variety of vegetables and bold spices, they bake up crisp on the outside and tender inside. The recipe comes from Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen and is vegan, soy-free, nut-free, and can easily be made gluten-free.

I was thrilled to receive a copy of Richa Hingle’s latest cookbook, Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen. Richa has built a widely loved blog full of vibrant, flavorful recipes, and her books reflect that same creativity and bright flavor. If you’ve followed her work for years you’ll recognize the careful attention to spice and texture that makes her recipes stand out.

Pakoras are traditionally deep-fried, and while I enjoy them when dining out, I don’t often make fried snacks at home. This baked version is a game changer: it captures the crunchy, savory appeal of pakoras while offering a lighter method that’s easy enough for a weeknight. They make a great appetizer, snack, or sandwich filling and pair wonderfully with chutneys, ketchup, or a fresh slaw.

If you want to explore more recipes from Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen, several food bloggers have shared dishes from the book. Here are some examples featured on other sites:

• Black Pepper Cheesy Mac and Broccoli
• Red Curry Soup with Lentils
• Bombay Potatoes and Peas
• Easiest Black Bean Burgers
• Buffalo Chickpea Tacos

After the recipe you’ll find a chance to enter to win a copy of Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen (US residents 18+). The recipe that follows is straightforward: pulse the vegetables, toss with chickpea flour and spices, then shape and bake until golden. The key is to reach a texture that holds together easily so you can form small scoops or patties before baking.

1 year: Crustless Bacon Brussels Quiche // 2 years: No-Churn Cranberry Cointreau Ice Cream // 3 years: Roasted Butternut Garlic Bisque // 4 years: Apple Pie on the Rocks // 5 years: Pecan Persimmon Oatmeal // 6 years: Orange Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies

Yield: 15 pakoras

Baked Vegetable Pakoras

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These vegetable pakoras make a delicious and quick snack. Chop the vegetables, fold in chickpea flour and spices, and bake until golden. They’re great with chutneys, in tacos with slaw, or shaped into patties for sandwiches or burgers. (From Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen, copyright © 2017 by Richa Hingle. Used by permission Vegan Heritage Press.)

Ingredients

• 1 heaping cup (110g) 1-inch (3cm) cauliflower florets
• 3/4 cup (90g) finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup (75g) 1-inch (3cm) broccoli florets
• 1/3 cup (50g) chopped carrots
• 1/3 cup (50g) chopped raw or cooked potato
• 1 small green chile, seeded if desired
• 1 1/2-inch (1cm) knob fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/4 cup (10g) tightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) or toasted cumin seeds, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, to taste
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala or amchur (dried mango powder), divided
• 2 tablespoons (16g) semolina flour (or brown/white rice flour for gluten-free)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup (60g) chickpea flour, or more
• 2 teaspoons neutral oil (safflower or similar), or more
• 1 to 2 teaspoons water, or more as needed

Instructions

1. Add the cauliflower, onion, broccoli, carrots, potato, chile, ginger, cilantro, and mint (if using) to a food processor. Pulse in 5-second bursts until the vegetables are finely chopped but not pureed.
2. Transfer the chopped vegetables to a large bowl. Stir in the carom or toasted cumin seeds, turmeric, cayenne, salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the chaat masala, and the semolina flour.
3. In a small bowl, mix the baking soda with the chickpea flour. Add this flour mixture to the vegetables and stir well to coat. If needed, add another tablespoon of chickpea flour so all the vegetables have a light coating.
4. Let the mixture rest for 2 to 3 minutes so the vegetables release some moisture into the flour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Stir in the oil and a small amount of water. The mixture should be moist enough to form small balls or scoops but not wet like a batter. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture just begins to hold together. Use your hands, a tablespoon, or a small scoop to portion the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, keeping each scoop around 1 1/2 inches (4cm) for even baking.
6. Lightly spritz or brush the pakoras with oil. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the exterior is golden and crisp. Let cool for a minute, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala over the warm pakoras before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

15

Serving Size:

1 grams

Amount Per Serving:
Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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