Why are my pakoras soft and oily?

The batter was too thin or the oil was not hot enough. Keep the mixture thick enough to clump, and fry at a steady medium heat.

Can I make pakoras without baking soda?

Yes. They will be a little denser but still crisp, especially if you add rice flour and a spoon of hot oil to the batter.

Aloo Pyaz Pakora Recipe (Pakistani, Step by Step) | آلو پیاز کے پکوڑے

Name: Aloo Pyaz Pakora
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients: 2 medium onions Onions, thinly sliced; 2 medium potatoes Potatoes, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced; 1½ cups Gram flour (besan); 2 tbsp Rice flour, for extra crunch; 1 tsp Salt, adjust to taste; 1 tsp Red chilli powder; 1 tbsp Coriander seeds (sabut dhania), coarsely crushed; ½ tsp Carom seeds (ajwain); ½ tsp Cumin seeds (zeera); ¼ tsp Turmeric (haldi); ¼ tsp Baking soda (meetha soda); 3 Green chillies, chopped; ¼ cup Fresh coriander (hara dhania), chopped; 1 cup Spinach (palak), shredded; ¼ cup Water, roughly, add a spoon at a time; 3 cups Cooking oil, for deep-frying; 1 tsp Chaat masala, to sprinkle

Method

Put the onions and potatoes in a large bowl, add the salt, and rub them together with your hands. Leave them so the onions release their water.
⏱ 10 min
Add the besan, rice flour, red chilli, crushed coriander, ajwain, cumin, turmeric, green chillies, fresh coriander and spinach if using. Mix well; it will look dry at first.
Sprinkle in water a spoon at a time, mixing, until the besan just coats every slice and the mixture clumps together. Stop before it becomes a runny batter. Stir in the baking soda.
Heat the oil on medium-high. Test with a drop of batter: it should rise straight up with steady bubbles. Drop in loose, rough spoonfuls without pressing them flat.
Fry on medium heat, turning a few times, until deep golden and the bubbling around them slows down. Do not crowd the pan.
⏱ 5 min
Lift out onto a rack or paper, sprinkle with chaat masala while hot, and fry the rest in batches.