Onion Bhaji
serves 10-12 balls
- vegetable oil for deep frying - – approx. 3-4 cups (720-960ml)
- 2 large onions - peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 green chilli - - finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp dried coriander leaf
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground fenugreek
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- 130 g (1 ½ cups +2 tbsp) gram flour - - also known as chickpea flour or besan
- 1 tbsp cornflour - cornstarch
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda - - baking soda
- 135 ml (½ cup + 1tbsp) water
- To Serve:
- 1 tbsp Freshly chopped coriander
- Sweet and sour sauce or sweet chilli sauce - for dipping
- Heat the oil in a wok or large heavy-based pan over a medium heat. You need at least 3 inches of oil, but do ensure the pan or wok is less than half full of oil as you don’t want it to bubble over.
- Place the sliced onion in a bowl.
- Add the 1 tbsp minced ginger, the chopped green chilli, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp dried coriander leaf, 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tsp ground fenugreek, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp garlic salt, the 130g (1 ½ cups + 2tbsp) gram flour, the 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) and the ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda.
- Mix together to coat the onion.
- Add in the 135ml (½ cup + 1 tbsp) of water, a splash at a time, until you have a thick batter that coats the onion. You may not need all of the water.
- Test the heat of the oil by dropping a little blob of the batter in the wok. It should sizzle and rise to the top.
- Carefully add a rounded tablespoon of the onion bhaji mixture into the oil by rollling them into balls.
- Repeat, so you have 4 or 5 bhaji’s frying at the same time (don’t add more than this as the oil may boil over and also too much mixture will cool the oil – resulting in greasy bhajis that aren’t as crisp).
- Fry for 3-4 minutes until the coating is dark golden brown.
- Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
- Repeat, frying further bhajis, until the mixture is used up.
- You can keep cooked batches warm in a warm oven (approx. 130C/250F) whilst cooking the remaining bhajis.
- Once all of the onion bhajis are cooked, place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh coriander.
- Serve with sweet and sour or sweet chilli sauce.