Onion Pakora

Onion Pakora / Fritters are very easy to prepare and requires less effort. 

INGREDIENTS:

Large sized onions 2 
Gram flour 1 cup (I prefer to add 1/2 cup only, so that onion texture and taste will be prominent)
Green chilies  2 (or ½ tsp red chilli powder)
Chopped coriander leaves (optional) 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder(optional) ¼ tsp
Carom seeds 1 tsp 
Asafoetida/hing (optional) a generous pinch
oil for shallow frying or deep frying
Water as required to make a medium thick batter
Salt as required


METHOD:

1. Slice the onions thinly and take them in a bowl. 
2. Add chopped green chilies. (Optional : you can add chopped coriander leaves, red chilli powder)
3. Add carom seeds, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt.
4. Mix well. Keep the onion mixture for 5 minutes. ( As the onions would release water and then you can add water as required in the batter.)
5. Add gram flour and add required amount of water to make medium thick batter.
6. Stir the mixture very well with a spoon or with your hands. Now the batter is ready.
7. Heat the oil, add spoonfuls of the batter. (Depending on the size of the kadai or pan, you can add less or more fritters/pakoras, don't over crowd the pakoras while frying.)
8. Deep fry pakoras till it turns golden brown, turn over with a slotted spoon and continue to fry.
9. Turn the pakoras few times for even frying.
10. Fry the onion pakoras, till they look crisp and golden evenly.
11. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain them on kitchen paper towels for excess oil to be absorbed.
12. Fry slit green chilies in the same oil.
13. Sprinkle some salt on the green chilies and mix well.

Serve onion pakoras or kandi bhaji or onion fritters with the fried green chilies or mint chutney or tomato sauce.

TIPS:
1. Slice the onions thinly as thin slices will get cooked faster than thick slices and while frying the gram flour gets cooked but the onion slices remain half cooked if sliced onion is thick.
2. You can use a pinch of baking soda in the batter to add that extra crispiness to the pakoras. 
3. You can add 1 or 2 teaspoon of oil  in the batter. This makes the onion pakoras crisp and it absorbs less oil while frying.