Besan and vegetables
6 pieces · ~100 g
150
Carbs20 g
Protein7 g
Fat3 g
Fibre4 g
Gram flour has real protein and fibre. Onion, spinach and potato add more. Before frying, this is a decent food.
Worth eatingThe verdict
Besan is actually good for you. Then it spends four minutes in a fryer.
Component by component
Per ~6 pieces, mixed vegetable. Estimates, not yet verified against IFCT 2017.
Absorbed frying oil
— · ~30 g
270
Carbs0 g
Protein0 g
Fat30 g
Fibre0 g
Nearly two thirds of the calories. Pakora batter is loose and porous, which is exactly what maximises absorption.
Where the damage isThree ways to fix it
Ordered by what you give up.
Option 1 · A few, with the tea, on a plate−210
Serve a counted number on a plate instead of eating from the bowl.
Pakora is eaten by the handful and the handfuls are not counted. Plating them is the entire intervention.
Taste cost: None
Option 2 · Air-fry them−230
Air-fried at 190°C with a spray of oil.
Removes almost all the absorbed oil. The texture is drier and no amount of pretending changes that, but it is a legitimately different snack.
Taste cost: High — the crunch is different
Option 3 · Change the form−200
Besan chilla, or steamed dhokla.
Same gram flour, same protein, no fryer. Dhokla in particular is one of the best snacks in Indian cooking and nobody treats it as one.
Taste cost: Moderate