Make your own pakoras just like Vik’s Chaat.

Vik’s in West Berkeley (2390 Fourth St.) has been serving chaat and other street foods from different regions of India since 1989. Pakoras, or vegetable fritters, are one of the restaurant’s mainstays.

The formula for pakoras can range widely, but they always contain diced or shredded vegetables bound together in a light batter made of chickpea flour and spices. Even the densest vegetables, like diced potato, cook up shockingly quickly in the deep fryer.

Vik’s recipe is flexible in the type of vegetables you can use; if you don’t have cauliflower, try substituting broccoli. Because the coating is just a basic mixture of chickpea flour and water, you can vary the amount of liquid and solid ingredients as needed to obtain, as the recipe says aptly, a potato salad-like consistency.

As you shape the pakoras, it won’t seem like they are going to stay together, but they do, surprisingly well, once they hit the hot oil.

The most important thing is to make sure the oil comes back to temperature before adding each batch to ensure the most golden, crispy texture.

The second-most important thing? Eat them immediately. That’s when they are at their best, especially when dipped in the fresh and bright mint-cilantro chutney.

John Lee / Special to The Chronicle Vik’s Pakoras With Green Chutney can be made with a variety of vegetables. The chutney uses cilantro and mint.