What is the base ingredient of the Indian snack 'pakora' batter?

The base ingredient of pakora batter is chickpea flour, also called gram flour or besan.

Pakoras are South Asian fritters made by coating vegetables, paneer, meat, or other ingredients in a seasoned batter and deep-frying them. Chickpea flour is made by milling chickpeas, commonly Bengal gram or chana dal. It gives the coating a savory, nutty flavor and helps it become crisp in hot oil.

The batter is usually mixed with water and spices such as chili, turmeric, coriander, ginger, or fenugreek. Rice flour may be blended in to increase crispness, but it is not the traditional primary flour. Wheat flour and cornmeal can appear in adaptations, yet they are not the defining base. Pakora varieties include onion, potato, spinach, cauliflower, paneer, and chicken.