Onion Bhajias Recipes

ONION BHAJI

Steps:

• Make the batter, mix all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl with water to create a batter with a consistency similar to heavy cream (double cream in the UK). You might need to add more water than written in the ingredient list above.
• Slice the onions into thin slices and separate them just a little.
• Add the onions to the batter.
• Stir the onions with the batter so that it coats the onion slices well.
• Heat canola or vegetable/corn oil to 355°F (180C°), then using 2 spoons of your hands start dropping clusters of onions in the batter (about 3-4 at a time), and fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
• Using a spider or slotted spoon, remove the bhajis from the oil, and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Enjoy hot on their own, or serve with a yogurt mint raita.

EASY ONION BHAJIS

Steps:

• Soak the onion in cold water while you make the base mix. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add the chilli powder, turmeric, chopped chilli and a good sprinkling of salt. Mix in about 100ml of cold water to make a thick batter - add a splash more if it feels too stiff.
• For the raita, peel the cucumber and grate it into a sieve set over another bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients with some seasoning and the drained cucumber - squeezing out any extra moisture with your hands - then spoon into a small serving bowl.
• Drain the onion well and mix it into the batter. Heat about 5cm of oil in a wok or deep pan. Do not fill the pan more than a third full. Add a tiny speck of batter. If it rises to the surface surrounded by bubbles and starts to brown, then the oil is hot enough for frying.
• Lower heaped tbsps of the bhaji mixture into the pan, a few at a time, and cook for a few mins, turning once, until they are evenly browned and crisp, so about 3-4 mins. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with a little salt and keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve with the raita.

BAKED ONION BHAJIS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle in chili powder and mix. Add turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger. Stir well and remove from heat.
• Combine chickpea flour, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, and salt in a bowl and mix well. Mix in the onions and tomato puree; add a little water until mixture is wet and easy to stir.
• Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil onto the prepared baking sheet. Place 2 tablespoons of the onion mixture onto the baking sheet for each bhaji; flatten slightly with the back of a spoon.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Drizzle remaining oil over the bhajis and continue baking until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

CARROT, ONION, AND SPINACH BHAJIAS WITH MANGO CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For the mango chutney:
• Mix all the ingredients together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and boil for 40 to 45 minutes. It should thicken and be quite syrupy.
• Pour into a sterilized canning jar while hot. Seal the jar, allow to cool completely, then move to a cool place and leave for a week. This will give it time to mature. It should keep for around 3 months.
• For the bhajias:
• Pour vegetable oil into a large, deep-lipped skillet so that it comes 2 inches up the sides. Gently heat it while you prepare the bhajia mixture. Alternatively, heat a deep-fat fryer to 350°F.
• Grate the carrots, onion and ginger using a cheese grater. Transfer them to a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Scrunch all of the mixture together with your hands to release the moisture from the veggies and help it bind together. If you need to, add a few tablespoons of water-you want it to be a dropping consistency. Shape the mixture into balls of around a tablespoonful each before flattening them a little, which allows them to cook all the way through so that they don't end up with a doughy center.
• Add a little of the mixture to the oil to test if it's hot enough: it should sink and then swim. Deep-fry the bhajias, in batches if you need to, for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown. You will need to flip them a few times to get an even color. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with mango chutney or your favorite dip.

INDIAN RESTAURANT STYLE ONION BHAJIA - DEEP FRIED ONION FRITTERS

Steps:

• Put the vegetable oil into a large pan and heat over a medium to high heat.
• Make the batter: In a large bowl, add the chickpea flour, baking powder, rice flour, turmeric, black onion seeds, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and the water. Mix together well and then add the sliced onion - mix the onion through until well coated.
• Check the temperature of the oil by dropping a small cube of bread in - it should brown fairly slowly - not burn or go dark brown straight away.
• Carefully drop spoons of the bhaji batter in to the oil, do NOT overcrowd as they will stick together. Fry them in small batches for 1 to 2 minutes until they are a golden brown and crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on a paper covered plate in a warm oven.
• Repeat until all the bhaji batter is finished and they are all cooked.
• Sprinkle over a little salt and serve straight away with coriander chutney or cucumber raita.