Buckle up because these extraordinary Pakora Kale Chips are about to skyrocket to the top of your all-time favorite snacks! Super-nutritious kale gets a flavor blast from the iconic pakora batter before being air-fried or baked to crispy perfection. It only takes one audibly crunchy bite to fall in love with the BEST chip you’ve ever tasted.
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Pakoras also known as Pakodas, Bhajji, or Bhajia are spicy Indian fritters. Made using a variety of vegetables that are mixed in or coated with a spiced gram flour batter. They are then deep fried to get a perfectly golden crispy texture from the outside while the inside is tender-soft. These flavorful fritters are often served with green chutney as a snack with a hot cup of Chai, as a side dish with meals, as well as a must in an Indian Party Menu.
These Kale Pakora chips are my take on the light and crispy kale chips with the addition of the earthy, savory flavors of the traditional pakoras.
Pakora batter is famously made with besan(gram or chickpea) flour and spices like carom seeds, salt, turmeric, garlic powder, and red chili powder mixed with water. It serves two purposes in this recipe. First, it adds that unmistakable flavor–nutty, earthy, and spicy for a totally unique take on kale chips. Second, the batter adds another layer of crispiness when air-fried or baked which gives the kale chips a next-level CRUNCH!
These light kale pakoras are air-fried or oven-baked instead of the traditional deep frying making them a perfect snack that is also gluten-free and vegan. If you love pakoras and want to enjoy them guilt-free try the air fryer Onion Pakoras, Kurkuri Bhindi, and Zucchini Chips.
Homemade Kale Chips Benefits
Homemade Kale Chips are leagues above both store-bought kale chips and traditional potato chips. Here are a few reasons why you should be making the switch:
- Store-bought chips are often extremely processed, full of preservatives, and overloaded with salt and unhealthy oils. These homemade Kale Chips are preservative-free, with only clean, whole ingredients. One recipe calls for only ½ teaspoon of salt and a maximum of 1 tablespoon of oil that is sprayed on so a little goes a long way.
- Homemade Kale Chips are big whole pieces that are just so satisfying to bite into. Store-bought kale or potato chips are often smaller, and more fragile, and you wind up with a bunch of tiny broken pieces.
- Your family, friends, and guests will be blown away when you serve Air Fryer Pakora Kale Chips! They’ll disappear so fast that my advice is to make extra!
Ingredients
Kale: A perfect recipe for enjoying this leafy green superfood veggie.
Besan Flour (Gram Flour): This gluten-free flour is made from dried split chickpeas and has a nutty flavor. It’s a staple in Indian kitchens.
Kashmiri Red Chili Powder (Lal Kashmiri Mirch): Kashmiri red chili powder adds a brilliant red hue without adding too much heat. When substituting other chiles for Kashmiri red chiles be mindful of the heat level.
Turmeric (Haldi): adds a peppery-woody taste and a distinctive deep golden color to dishes.
Carom Seeds (Ajwain): These pungent seeds add a complex flavor and are often added to the pakora batter to aid digestion.
Did all of this talk of Pakoras make you hungry for traditional Kanda Bhaji?? Check out my crispy delicious air-fried and oven-baked Onion Pakora Recipe.
How to Make Air Fryer Kale Chips
- Rinse kale. Remove the stems and then tear the leaves into 3 to 4-inch pieces. If you have a salad spinner, add kale to it to remove any excess moisture. Otherwise, use paper towels to dry them well.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 F.
- To a mixing bowl add gram flour, carom seeds salt, turmeric, garlic powder, and red chili powder. Add water and mix well to make a smooth batter paste.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with some oil.
- Take one piece of kale and lightly dip it in the batter to coat the ends with the batter.
- Place in the preheated air fryer. Repeat with the remaining kale until the air fryer basket is loosely filled with a layer of kale. Lightly spray or brush oil on top.
- Air fry at 350 F for 5 to 7 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the kale is crispy. Take out the kale chips and repeat with the remaining kale.
Oven Baked Kale Chips
- Preheat oven to 300 F.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Line batter-dipped kale leaves on the tray in a single layer.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the Kale is crisp and lightly golden.
Tips
- Do not completely dip the kale in the batter in the way traditional pakoras are made. Instead, dip the ends letting the batter cling to the curly edges. This ensures a lighter and crisper chip that is in no way doughy.
- Make sure to completely dry the kale leaves before dipping them in the batter to ensure crispy light chips.
- Keep an eye on the chips after 4 to 5 minutes as every air fryer works differently. You want to cook just until the leaves are crisp and lightly golden. Allowing the chips to cool down will help them get crisper. Here are more tips if you are new to air fryers.
- Storing - Kale chips are best eaten fresh. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a day. If the chips get softer over time, simply pop them back in the air fryer and reheat them at 300 F for a minute or so.
Recipe
Kale Pakora Chips
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 small bunch curly green or purple kale
- ½ cup gram flour/besan
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
- ⅓ cup water about 6 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon oil oil spray works best
Instructions
- Rinse kale. Remove the stems and then tear the leaves into 3 to 4-inch pieces. If you have a salad spinner, add kale to it to remove any excess moisture. Otherwise, use paper towels to dry them well.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 F.
- To a mixing bowl add gram flour, carom seeds salt, turmeric, garlic powder, and red chili powder. Add little bit water at a time and mix well to make a smooth batter paste.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil.
- Take one piece of kale and lightly dip it in the batter so that the curly ends get coated with the batter. Note: Do not completely dip the kale in the batter in the way traditional pakoras are made. Instead, dip the ends letting the batter cling to the curly edges. This ensures a lighter and crisper chip that is in no way doughy.
- Place in the preheated air fryer facing up the batter dipped ends. Repeat with the remaining kale until the air fryer basket is filled with a layer of kale. Lightly spray or brush oil on top.
- Air fry at 350 F for 5 to 7 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the kale is crispy. Take out the kale chips and repeat with the remaining kale.
Notes
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- Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
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- Line batter-dipped kale leaves on the tray in a single layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the Kale is crisp and lightly golden.
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