Inspired by Nashville’s iconic hot chicken, these spicy, flavor-packed pakoras are a marriage of Chef Maneet Chauhan’s Indian heritage and her current Southern home.
Hot Chicken Pakoras
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Courtesy of: Maneet Chauhan
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 quart whole buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons garlic ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon hing (asafoetida powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Batter:
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tablespoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon hing (asafoetida powder)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons soda water
- 1 tablespoon garlic ginger paste
- Spiced Salt (recipe follows)
- Habanero Hot Sauce (recipe follows)
Spiced Salt
- 1 tablespoon chaat masala
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground red pepper
- 1½ teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
Habanero Hot Sauce
- ¼ pound habaneros, stemmed and seeded
- ½ pound yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Zest of 1 orange
- ¾ cup Champagne vinegar
- 5 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
Chicken
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, buttermilk, garlic ginger paste, salt, hing, black pepper, red pepper, chili powder, and paprika. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Let chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Fill a large Dutch oven halfway with oil, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350°.
Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, chili powder, hing, and salt. Whisk in soda water until a smooth milkshake consistency. Whisk in garlic ginger paste. Place remaining 1 cup all-purpose flour in a shallow dish.
- Working in batches, dredge chicken pieces in flour, shaking off excess. Dredge in batter. Fry until chicken is cooked and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with Spiced Salt. Serve immediately with Habanero Hot Sauce.
Spiced Salt
- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Habanero Hot Sauce
- In the container of a blender, process together habanero, bell pepper, salt, and zest; until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Strain pepper mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding solids. Return strained pepper mixture to the container of a blender. Add vinegar, honey, and xanthan gum; process until smooth and thickened, about 30 seconds. Season with additional salt, if needed. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
