Cabbage Pakoda (Cabbage Pakora)

Try these Cabbage Pakora for a delicious and addictive tea-time snack or appetizer. Love crunchy pakoras from the Indian sub-continent? You got to try this new variation with shredded cabbage, spices, herbs and gram flour. They are easy to make, ready in a flash and no one will know there is cabbage in these fritters. These are good on their own but a chutney and Chai make the perfect accompaniments.

About Cabbage Pakora

If you ever end up with a not so fresh cabbage and don’t know what to do with it, do try out this! You won’t regret! Cabbage Pakora is sold like a hot cake in the South Indian street stalls and budget cafes when onion prices go high.

Once in every few years, onion harvest is ruined due to extreme weather conditions and the price of onions sky rocket in the following months. Onion Pakoda is the most popular pakora variety sold in the Indian sub-continent. With the onion prices going so high, budget cafes and street stalls came up with this idea of making pakora with cabbage instead of onions.

That’s how Cabbage Pakora became popular in South India. It’s not something you will find it often or is a staple in the households but people make it for various reasons. Some make these during festivals for a no onion no garlic pakora option. A lot of people make it only because they love the flavor of fried cabbage.

We come under the second category. Neither onions are expensive where I live nor do we eat a no onion garlic diet. But we love the fried cabbage flavor. The combination of cabbage, gram flour and carom seeds is fantastic and unbeatable. On occasions I have thrown in a handful of spinach or methi and they turn out even more delicious.

This recipe is from my Mom and like many other food enthusiasts she would be inspired from TV shows, magazines, news paper recipe columns and cookbooks. She would even add fine chopped cabbage in her Medu Vada (garelu) and Masala Vada to make Cabbage Vada. The best part was no one ever knew she added it.

Photo Guide

Step by step Photo Instructions

1. Cut cabbage to quarters and add them to warm water. Leave it for 10 mins, later remove and rinse with fresh water. Shred and drain completely to a colander.

2. Before making the cabbage pakora make sure there is no moisture in it. Add cleaned and shredded cabbage to a mixing bowl and add salt.

3. Add ginger garlic paste, coriander, curry leaves, chilies and ajwain.

4. Mix everything very well and squeeze well for 30 seconds. Keep this aside for 10 mins.

5. Add rice flour and besan.

6. Mix everything very well and taste test. The mixture has to be dry and not soggy. If it turns too dry, squeeze the mixture , cabbage will release moisture. You can also sprinkle 1 tbsp water and mix. If the mixture is soggy, add flour in the same ratios. 1 tbsp besan : 1/2 tbsp rice flour.

7. Heat oil in a kadai on a medium heat. When the oil turns just hot enough, regulate the flame to medium high, then slide small flat portions of the pakoda dough to the oil.

8. Fry until lightly golden. Then reduce the flame to low and continue to fry stirring often.

9. Take them off a bit early since they continue to cook even after removing from oil. Remove to a cooling rack or a kitchen paper.

Serve cabbage pakoda with tea or coffee and chutney.

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