Chop the onions into thin slices and place them in a large bowl.
Using your fingers, separate the onion slices. Add salt, carom seeds, fennel seeds, coriander, cumin, chilli and and turmeric powder, along with grated ginger and green chilies.
Use your fingers to massage the onions so that it is completely coated with the spice powders and salt.
Cover the bowl. Let the onion-spice mixture rest for 10-15 minutes. This will allow the onions to release moisture.
Add Bengal gram flour (besan), rice flour, oil, and yogurt to the onion mixture.
Add cilantro or dried fenugreek leaves (if using). Combine it until all the onion slices are evenly coated with thick batter and bind together. If the batter is dry, add a tablespoon of water and mix well.
Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 5 minutes.
Line the air fryer tray with parchment paper.
Scoop about 1/4 cup portion of the batter and evenly place them on the parchment paper.
Set the timer for 14 minutes [see note]. Halfway during the cooking cycle (around 7 minutes), spray the pakodas with cooking spray.
The pakoras are done when the exterior coating turns golden brown and there are no signs of wet batter.
Sprinkle with chaat masala (if using) and serve hot with green chutney or tamarind chutney
Notes
Depending on your air fryer, the cooking time can change. Set the timer to 12 minutes and add more minutes as needed to get a crispy exterior.
Recipe tips
Slice the onions into thin, even slices so that it cooks quickly.
Cook at the right temperature. If the temperature is very high, the interior will be uncooked.
No overcrowding – Always arrange food in a single layer and cook in batches if needed.
Toss or flip the food halfway during cooking to make sure the food is cooked evenly.
Use rice flour for crisp pakoras: You can substitute rice flour with corn starch.
Spraying the pakoras with oil halfway through allows them to brown nicely in the final stages of cooking.
Besan or Bengal gram flour turns bitter if it is close to its expiry date. For best results, use a fresh batch.
Get the consistency of the batter right. Let the onions sit for 10-15 minutes. It'll ooze out the moisture, and then add water, if needed.