If your pakoras aren't turning out crunchy, it's likely due to a few common issues: Consistency of the batter: It should be of a coating consistency - not too thick, not too thin. A thick batter will give you a soft, doughy interior and a thinner one will fail to produce a proper crust, resulting in less crispy pakoras. Rice Flour: Adding a tablespoon or two of rice flour to the batter makes pakoras crispy while keeping them gluten-free. Temperature of the oil if frying: It should be moderately hot. Too cold, and the pakoras will absorb too much oil and won't crisp up properly. If it's too hot, the pakoras will burn on the outside before they've cooked on the inside. However if you are air frying like us, this won't be the case. Frying technique: Overcrowding the pan when frying can drop the oil temperature and create steam leading to a soggy paneer pakoras.