Leftover Rice Fritters or Indian Pakoras are crispy and crunchy, irresistibly delicious, easy-to-make snack recipes prepared in less than 30 minutes. These rice patties are one of the best ways to use any leftover cooked rice. The recipe is customizable, vegan, and gluten-free.Â
Best Leftover Rice Recipes
Are you worried about what to do with leftover rice? Here is a quick and simple solution that I follow in my kitchen. If it is a weekday and I have leftovers, I generally love to prepare quick rice recipes South Indian style for breakfast and also pack it for my lunch box.
Some of my favorite leftover rice recipes for breakfast and lunch box are :
- Lemon rice (chitranna) - popular South Indian Breakfast recipe
- Coconut rice
- Curd rice
- Lemon pepper rice
- Indo Chinese fried rice
- Rice kheer or pudding
- Baked fried rice
You can have these fritters (patties) any time of the day. But if it is weekends, then I reserve the rice to prepare a side for lunch or as a snack for tea. I sometimes refer to this dish as rice pakoras (pakodas) or croquettes.
Rice fritters (patties, pakoras, croquettes)
Rice fritters are crispy and crunchy on the outside and so tasty that you will not even wait for any leftover rice. Simply cook fresh rice, cool it, and prepare the recipe 🙂 These fritters or rice croquettes can be great finger food for upcoming tailgating events, game nights, potluck, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas holiday parties!
I have kept my recipe very simple. A very flexible recipe where you can add any spices of your choice if desired. For more chatpata Indian flavor, you can add chat masala, garam masala, black salt, and/or any other spices. For western flavors, add garlic powder, basil leaves, parsley, bread crumbs, etc.
 I prepare this frequently, so I have shared some more tips at the end that might be useful to you.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Leftover rice
- ½ Onion, finely chopped
- ½ inch Ginger, grated
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
- 1 Green chile or Jalapeno, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves or Cilantro finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Red chile powder or Cayenne powder
- 2 tablespoon Corn starch (check tips for substitute)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Chopped nuts (cashews or peanuts)
- Salt, to taste
- Vegetable oil for frying
How to make leftover rice fritters
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame for frying. See that atleast 40 - 50 percent of the pan is filled with oil.
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients (rice, onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies, coriander leaves, red chile powder, cornstarch, cashew nuts, and salt), mash, and mix well. Sprinkle some water if needed so that it is able to hold its shape. Read the tips below. (Taste and adjust salt and spiciness accordingly)
- Now make fritters of the desired shape and keep them aside.
- Once the oil is hot, drop patties or fritters in oil about 7 to 8, depending on the size of your pan. Leave this undisturbed for about 2 - 3 minutes on medium flame.
- Then using a slotted spoon, separate any fritters that may be sticking to each other, and then flip them in oil occasionally to fry them till they are crispy and golden brown on all sides.
- Transfer them to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the process for the remaining mixture.
- Serve hot, and enjoy.
Pro Tips
- The juices released from the onion were sufficient to form a nice mixture.
- If your mixture is too dry, add water little by little to form a stiff mashed mix.
- If your mixture is too thin, then add additional cornstarch (or rice flour or all-purpose flour) if desired.
- Vary the amount of red chili powder as per your taste.
- You can also substitute corn starch with all-purpose flour/maida.
- To check if the oil is hot, add a small piece of the mixture. Check if it sizzles and comes up immediately.
- If the oil is too hot, your fritters will brown faster on the outside and will remain uncooked inside. If it is cold, then it will absorb excess oil. The best practice is to fry them between medium and medium-high flame.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. This may make your fritters break and absorb oil.
- Total frying time may be about 8 - 10 minutes. However, this may depend on the size of your pan, number of fritters, flame, amount of oil, and so on.
Recipe card
Leftover Rice Fritters | Easy Leftover Rice Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottomed pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Leftover rice
- ½ Onion, finely chopped
- ½ inch Ginger, grated
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
- 1 Green chile or Jalapeno, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves or Cilantro finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Red chile powder or Cayenne powder
- 2 tablespoon Corn starch (check tips for substitute)
- 1 to 2 tablespoon Chopped nuts (cashews or peanuts)
- Salt, to taste
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium flame for frying. See that atleast 40 - 50 percent of the pan is filled with oil.Vegetable oil for frying
- In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients (rice, onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies, coriander leaves, red chile powder, cornstarch, cashew nuts, and salt), mash, and mix well. Sprinkle some water if needed so that it is able to hold its shape. Read the tips below. (Taste and adjust salt and spiciness accordingly)1 ½ cups Leftover rice, ½ Onion, finely chopped, ½ inch Ginger, grated, 2 Garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped, 1 Green chile or Jalapeno, finely chopped, 1 to 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves or Cilantro finely chopped, ½ teaspoon Red chile powder or Cayenne powder, 2 tablespoon Corn starch, 1 to 2 tablespoon Chopped nuts, Salt, to taste
- Now make fritters of the desired shape and keep them aside.
- Once the oil is hot, drop patties or fritters in oil about 7 to 8, depending on the size of your pan. Leave this undisturbed for about 2 - 3 minutes on medium flame.
- Then using a slotted spoon, separate any fritters that may be sticking to each other, and then flip them in oil occasionally to fry them till they are crispy and golden brown on all sides.
- Transfer them to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the process for the remaining mixture.
- Serve hot, and enjoy.
Notes
- The juices released from the onion were sufficient to form a nice mixture.
- If your mixture is too dry, add water little by little to form a stiff mashed mix.
- If your mixture is too thin, then add additional cornstarch (or rice flour or all-purpose flour) if desired.
- Vary the amount of red chili powder as per your taste.
- You can also substitute corn starch with all-purpose flour/maida.
- To check if the oil is hot, add a small piece of the mixture. Check if it sizzles and comes up immediately.
- If the oil is too hot, your fritters will brown faster on the outside and will remain uncooked inside. If it is cold, then it will absorb excess oil. The best practice is to fry them between medium and medium-high flame.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. This may make your fritters break and absorb oil.
- Total frying time may be about 8 - 10 minutes. However, this may depend on the size of your pan, number of fritters, flame, amount of oil, and so on.
Nutrition
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Sharmila- The Happie friends potpourri corner
That is soo awesome.. Love it to the core!!
Kushi
Thank you Sharmila 🙂
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
These fritters look so nice and crisp, Kushi. What a fun and delicious way of using leftover rice.
Kushi
Thank you Anu 🙂
Anu
Looks crispy!!
Kushi
Thank you Anu 🙂
Urmila
These were sinfully crispy and Yum! loved it khushi
Kushi
Thank you Urmila 🙂