Spicy King Prawn Pakora Recipe From Zouk

A favourite amongst our diners, these spicy King Prawn Pakoras are easy to replicate at home with this step-by-step recipe guide. But first...what is a pakora?

• Preparation time - 10 minutes
• Cooking time - 5 to 10 minutes
• Total time - 15 to 20 minutes

What is a Pakora?

These tasty Indian snacks come in all kinds of varieties. Famous throughout the Indian sub-continent, the pakora is one of the most-loved street foods available. Vendors sell all kinds of pakoras and bhajis and, although the ingredients can vary widely from vegetables and meat to seafood, they generally always consist of ingredients coated in a spicy batter and deep-fried. King prawn pakoras are especially easy to make and are a great dish to serve to seafood lovers.

Equipment List

• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Large glass bowl
• Deep saucepan or wok
• Whisk or fork to mix the batter
• Tongs to lower and turn prawns in oil
• Strainer /large spoon - to collect prawns when cooked
• Kitchen roll or greaseproof paper to drain pakoras on
• Serving plate

Ingredients for Prawn Pakora Recipe

This recipe will make roughly 8 to 10 Prawn Pakoras depending on the size of your prawns. Serves 2 as a starter.

• 350g raw King Prawns (shell on)
• 2 green chillies - deseeded and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely crushed
• Vegetable oil - for deep frying
• Lemon wedges for serving

Batter mix ingredients

• 150g gram flour (or plain flour - use gram if serving for gluten-free guests)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 100-250mls warm water

Shell the prawns leaving tails on

Carefully devein the prawns

Place the prawns in a mixing bowl

Method for Prawn Pakora Recipe

1. Shell and devein the prawns leaving the tails intact
2. Place the prawns in a large bowl with the chopped chillies and garlic and mix thoroughly
3. Make the batter - mix the gram flour, salt and spices together in a bowl
4. Create a well in the middle and add just enough water to make a thick, smooth paste
5. Whisk mixture well then leave to stand
6. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting - this will give you somewhere to hold the cooked pakoras until ready to serve
7. Heat 6cm of oil in a deep saucepan or wok to around 180 degrees
8. One at a time, holding the prawns by their tails, dip them into the batter mix, coating them entirely
9. Gently drop them into the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden brown, turning once with tongs halfway through.
10. Drain on a tray lined with kitchen towels and place in the oven to keep warm until you're ready to serve
11. Serve hot with a fresh lemon wedge and a dip or your choice

Place the flour & salt in the bowl

Add spices & garam masala

Whisk the dry ingredients with water

Our Top Tips For The Perfect Prawn Pakora

• Leaving the prawn tails on makes it easier to lower them into the oil
• To ensure the oil is ready use a thermometer or
• Use tongs to turn the prawns and turn them by the tails to avoid disturbing the batter
• If your pan is small then cook the pakoras in batches to avoid them touching each other during cooking

Dip the prawns into the batter mix

King Prawns ready to fry

King Prawn Pakoras frying in hot oil

Serving Ideas

King Prawn Pakoras are perfectly delicious on their own with a squeeze of fresh lemon. they are also delicious with a wide range of dips such as mayonnaise, chilli sauce, garlic mayonnaise, tomato chutney or imlee sauce.

These pakoras are great as part of a seafood banquet, as a snack or canapé for parties or as a tasty starter.

Prawn Pakora Recipe Shopping List

Zouk Garam Masala

Useful Links

Learn more about cooking restaurant-quality dishes at home by attending one of our cooking classes.

If you enjoyed this recipe then give our Chicken Tikka Recipe a try!

Read more about Zouk's cooking classes.

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