Savor the irresistible crunch of our Afghan Pakawra. Crispy, golden potato slices, perfectly seasoned with extra clean, all natural seasonings. Pakawra pairs perfectly with our zesty cilantro chutney. The secret ingredient that sets our chutney apart from others is walnuts. Premium walnuts add so much flavor and texture to your green chutney, that you won’t be able to make it any other way. This dish is a flavor explosion waiting to happen!
If you are looking for the PERFECT way to make some crispy Afghan Pakawra, try our method!
I was watching a video on YouTube where someone was walking around street food vendors and one of them made Afghan Pakawra and I had to get a recipe going for this. Street food vendors in Afghanistan are constantly drawing locals and visitors over when they’re cooking Afghan Pakawra. The sizzling aroma that filled the air wafted through everyone’s senses. They create this golden, deep-fried delights that make your taste buds so happy you allowed them to enjoy this!
Afghan Pakawra can be made with any vegetable, because it’s all about what you’re dipping that vegetable into. The batter is what makes the dish, so we are using gold potatoes for this recipe. Cutting them into thin slices but not too thin!
The combination of the amazing enriched chickpea flour and amazing seasonings by Ariana Sweets, Inc, gives the Afghan Pakawra an amazing quality and their blend of aromatic seasonings really elevate the fritters to a fantastic experience in every bite!
Tips for Making Perfect Afghan Pakawra
Cutting Perfect Potato Slices: It is very hard to cut potatoes. I struggle keeping a consistent cut because I am not a skilled cutter at all haha! This is why I do my little magic tricks in my videos. But I recommend just going slow and keep them consistent so they fry evenly. If they’re too thick, they might not crisp up but if they’re too thin they’ll break down too easily. It’s a struggle
Chickpea Flour and the Batter: You can certainly use All Purpose Flour, but I highly recommend using Chickpea Flour because it really is the difference maker for this Afghan Pakawra recipe. As for the batter, just make sure you’re getting a pancake batter kind of consistency. Get a smooth, lump-free batter by adding water slowly in while you whisk.
Oil Temperature: Get a thermometer so you can check the temperature on the oil as it needs to reach around 350-375°F (175-190°C) for a perfect crisp.
Seasonings: Don’t shy away from seasoning the batter. Additional spices and herbs are certainly allowed and you can really personalize your version of Afghan Pakawra. Adjust any of the seasonings, especially the chili powder. Add more if you want it to be more spicy.
Cilantro Chutney: We highly recommend this with our Cilantro Green Chutney recipe because the zesty and tangy sauce seriously adds a crazy amount of flavor to the Afghan Pakawra!
With all of these tips, you’re going to make the perfect Afghan Pakawra!
Ingredients
- 5 Potatoes (sliced)
- Vegetable Oil
- 1.5 cups Chickpea Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Garlic Powder
- Turmeric
- Hot Chili Powder
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
- 3 cups Water (adjust as needed)
Instructions
Start by peeling and thinly slicing potatoes into rounds.
Then, create your batter by combining chickpea flour, baking powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Gradually add water, beating until the mixture achieves a pancake batter consistency. Allow it to rest.
Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil and prepare a sauce. We highly recommend this with our Cilantro Green Chutney recipe because the zesty and tangy sauce seriously adds a crazy amount of flavor to the Afghan Pakawra!
Dip potato slices into the batter, ensuring they are full coated, and carefully place them into the hot oil.
Fry in batches for approximately 2 minutes on each side or until perfectly golden brown.
Afghan Pakawra is seriously next level and you’re going to get addicted!
Feel free to customize this with anything you’d like. Add any veggies or any sort of toppings over it as this will quite literally taste great with anything you can think of! Adjust the oil it to make it healthier if you need to. Furthermore, add some extra spices and seasonings if you desire. There’s no limit to what you can do with this Afghan Pakawra recipe.
Storage Recommendations
USE AIRTIGHT CONTAINERS
We highly recommend using airtight containers such as Skroam’s 10 Pack Glass Containers because glass is best!
Paper Towel Lining
Use a paper towel to absorb the excess oil before storing in order to maintain that crispiness. Put it under the Afghan Pakawra in the container. Do single layers of towels in between stacks.
Don’t Refrigerate
The texture will be compromised if you refrigerate the Afghan Pakawra. It will lose its crispiness for sure. The moisture from refrigeration will not help. Best to store at room temperature and then use an air fryer to reheat.
Reheating
Use an air fryer to reheat the Afghan Pakawra as it’ll help add some crispiness to the texture. Or an oven will also work but use a temperature of around 300°F or 150°C.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We do recommend using Chickpea flour, but you may also use All Purpose Flour. It just will not have the same taste or texture.
We don’t recommend freezing or even refrigerating the Afghan Pakawra as the texture will be compromised. Let it stay at room temperature in an airtight container but make sure to eat it quick, as it’s more of a short term consumption food.
Use an oven at around 300°F or 150°C or an air fryer at similar temperatures for 5 minutes.
You can eat it with any type of condiment but since this is an Afghan version, I recommend our Cilantro Green Chutney recipe!
Grind up dry chickpeas in a high-quality blender or a spice grinder into a fine powder. Sift the flour to remove large particles. Store it in an airtight container for future use.
Want More Great Recipes like this? Here are some of our Go-To Recipes
Kabuli Palaw, Afghan Brown Rice
Love Our Afghan Pakawra? Please Provide Us Feedback!
If you make our Aush/Ash Reshteh, please leave a comment and/or rate the recipe! We’d love to hear your feedback. Also, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram! We love seeing our family’s favorite recipes being enjoyed by others!
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Afghan Pakawra : Potato Fritters
Equipment
- Large Pot For Oil Frying
Ingredients
- 5 Potatoes, sliced thinly
- Vegetable Oil, for frying
- 1 1/2 cups Chickpea Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Garlic Powder
- Turmeric
- Hot Chili Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- 3 cups Water
Instructions
- Start by peeling and thinly slicing potatoes into rounds.
- Then, create your batter by combining chickpea flour, baking powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Gradually add water, beating until the mixture achieves a pancake batter consistency. Allow it to rest.
- Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil.
- Dip potato slices into the batter, ensuring they are full coated, and carefully place them into the hot oil.
- Fry in batches for approximately 2 minutes on each side or until perfectly golden brown.
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