Butternut Squash Pakoras
These crisp, boldly spiced fritters bring the heady flavors of West Bengal into your kitchen.
- Makes
20–24
- Time
40 minutes
Every squash season, my mum would make pakoras. Sitting on our veranda in Newtown, West Bengal, as the late-afternoon sun painted everything gold, we’d dunk these hot, crispy fritters into chutney (National Tangy Tamarind is a good bet)—or sometimes just good old ketchup—while glasses of steaming chai fogged up in our hands. Outside, my friends’ laughter drifted up to where we sat, eating and drinking, for what seemed like hours. We didn’t need much back then—just the satisfying crunch of these pakoras, the squash’s gentle sweetness, and the feeling that, in our own way, we were celebrating autumn.
Mum used whatever kind of squash the sabziwala (vegetable seller) brought that week. In Punjab, where our family roots lie, pakoras are often made with onions, potatoes, spinach, cauliflower, and eggplant. In West Bengal, where I grew up, squash and pumpkin regularly found their way into the batter. These regional touches taught me something early on: A recipe could be a reflection of a place, a season, and a cook.
Featured in "Frying Up Fall" by Romy Gill in the Falll/Winter 2025 issue. See more recipes and stories from Issue 204.
Ingredients
- One 1-lb. butternut squash, peeled, quartered, seeded, and coarsely grated
- 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1½ tsp. crushed red chile flakes
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups gram flour (from chana dal, not from yellow split peas)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Tamarind chutney, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Step 2
- In a large bowl, toss together the squash, dried parsley, cumin, chile flakes, baking soda, coriander, granulated garlic, black pepper, salt, turmeric, and onion. Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift the gram flour into the bowl and stir to coat. Add 3–6 tablespoons of water, just enough to make a thick, pourable batter.
- Into a heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, pour 3 inches of oil and turn the heat to medium-high. When the temperature reaches 350°F (or when a bit of batter dropped into the oil floats and sizzles), working in batches, drop heaped tablespoonfuls of batter into the oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until crisp and browned, 3–4 minutes per batch. (Bring the oil back up to temperature between batches.) Transfer fritters to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot with tamarind chutney if desired.
Keep Reading
Continue to Next Story
