December 8, 2021

Tuna Pakora

Fritters made with tuna, onions, and Indian spices. A quick, easy version of the classic tuna kabab.

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Total Time 25

Course Appetizer

Cuisine bengali, Indian

Servings 6

Ingredients

2 cans albacore tuna (5 oz. can)
1 cup thinly sliced red onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
4 green chilies, thinly sliced (adjust to preference)
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
3/4 tsp salt (adjust to preference)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 lemon (juice of)
2 eggs
1 tbsp gram flour (besan)
oil as needed for frying

Instructions

Drain the tuna very well and squeeze out excess moisture.
In a bowl, combine all ingredients except eggs, gram flour, and oil. Once mixed well, add the eggs and gram flour and mix further.
In a frying pan or wok, heat enough oil to submerge the pakoras at least halfway up. Pick up about a tablespoon of mixture with your hands and lightly pack it together to form a flattened round shape. Lower into hot oil and fry on medium-low heat, about 3 minutes per side. Fry in batches; do not overcrowd the frying pan.
When the pakoras are golden on both sides, remove and let rest on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately.

Keyword fritter, pakora, snack, tuna, tunapakora

So It’s Not Tuna Kabab?

Nope, but it tastes like one! The classic tuna kabab is a staple in every Bengali household. If you’ve been to a “dawat” (a gathering revolving around food), it was most likely served as a side dish. Although absolutely delicious, tuna kababs can be time and labor intensive. Shaping the kababs and crumb coating them can become a big project, especially if you have other cooking to tend to.

The Quick & Easy Version!

These tuna pakoras have all the great ingredients of a traditional tuna kabab, but comes together faster and with way less work. Just combine all the ingredients, drop handfuls of the mixture into hot oil, and fry them up!

Tips for Success

First off, use albacore tuna instead of the regular kind. They are denser, have less moisture, and hold together better.

Do a spectacular job of squeezing out the liquid from the tuna. No tools work better than your hands for this. The drier, the better.

Do a taste test before you add the raw eggs. Adjust salt and spiciness level at this time.

If you feel that your batter is too runny, add another tablespoon of gram flour.

Don’t worry about the shape of these pakoras. Rustic is good! Just grab about a tablespoon with your hand, use your fingers to create a rough flattened disc, and drop it in the oil (carefully!)

You can choose to deep fry, but I try to avoid it, so I use just enough oil to submerge the pakoras halfway, then flip them when the underside is done. Don’t flip the pakoras back and forth, or you’ll end up with soggy, overly greasy pakoras. Wait until one side is done, then gently flip.