Curry Recipes Online

Curry Photos & Videos => Pictures of Your Curries => Topic started by: jb on January 23, 2014, 04:58 PM

Title: Onion bhajis
Post by: jb on January 23, 2014, 04:58 PM
Guys,I was all set to wheel my tandoori oven out today and try the much talked about naan recipe from Happy4chris.However as the weather took a turn for the worse I thought better of it and decided to knock up some onion bhajis instead.A lot of recipes I have seem to be quite similar in terms of ingredients and a lot seem to call for a spoonful of kashmiri massala paste.Now after my recent visit to my local cash and carry I managed to get hold of a catering sized tub of Pasco kashmiri massala paste.I've seen this stuff in a lot of restaurant kitchens,taste it and you'll find it's very different to your bog standard Patak's version you find in Asda's etc.Much more flavour and indeed quite hot.

Anyway here they are,I cooked quite a few but they didn't last very long....

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/77f6ea4e9a7c4b874c6e8c901eabd7d3.JPG)

They were very good indeed,better than some of the bland takeaway ones I seem to get these days!!
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Madrasandy on January 23, 2014, 08:13 PM
Mmmm look delicious, wish I had some of them now with a nice yoghurt mint sauce. Think I might have to make some at weekend, havent made any for an age. Which recipe did you use Jb?
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Mattie on January 23, 2014, 08:24 PM
They do look fantastic, nice and crispy too.  Whats your favorite dip for them?
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: jb on January 24, 2014, 11:27 AM
I basically followed the recipe in CBM'S first book.I added a touch of baking powder,some tandoori powder and some mint sauce.These couple of additions bring them so close to my local takeaway's superb bhajis I struggle to tell the difference.The kashmiri massala paste definitely plays a big part.I've made them before without it and they just didn't have 'that' taste.I've also struggled with scaled down bhaji recipes being too wet and not cooking properly,but the consistency of CBM's batter is quite dry and they crisp up very nicely.I didn't make a dip,but If I did it would be Dip's mint sauce.As good,if not better than your standard BIR mint sauce.
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Gav Iscon on January 24, 2014, 12:24 PM
Look good jb, I'm going to have to have another bash at making these. Added to the list
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: MrsMarge on January 24, 2014, 10:23 PM
These look amazing.  I want to try this and have added the paste to my shopping list, hopefully our cash n carry will have the paste.
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Ader1 on January 30, 2014, 12:05 AM
I was watching a guy making some yesterday and he added Tandoori Paste and Tikka Paste but no Kashmiri Paste.  He added to Kashmiri Paste to his Keema (minced meat) for making Keema rice etc and to his mixture making Chicken Tikka.
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: ottis on January 31, 2014, 07:07 AM
I thought this was an usual way of making them..remind me more of the ones you find in Morrisons..Never seen them made this way before..they look real tasty..ottis..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk3S3_3gXMQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk3S3_3gXMQ)
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Stephen Lindsay on January 31, 2014, 03:40 PM
I've seen this video before and it's a nice take on the shape of an onion bhaji - I was served them like this many years ago in Brighton. The two stage cooking method is not new though - Dipuraja does this in his video albeit he doesn't alter the shape between stages. He opens up the inside of the bhajis a bit so that they will cook on the inside during the second cook.

If this is being filmed in real time then the bhajis got roughly 1 minute for the first cook and 2 1/2 to 3 minutes for the second cook.
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Secret Santa on January 31, 2014, 06:16 PM
I'd be mortified if I was served these as onion bhajis. They're onion burgers!

Watch the chicken and sweetcorn biryani from the same chap. Greasy, oily nastiness. If this is what Scots aspire to in BIR (or should that be SIR) they can keep it - blech!

I assume these are all vids from the Glasgow curry series?
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Stephen Lindsay on January 31, 2014, 09:07 PM
If this is what Scots aspire to in BIR (or should that be SIR) they can keep it - blech!

We also aspire to deep fried Mars Bars in batter (non-BIR of course)  :o ;)
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Garp on January 31, 2014, 09:46 PM
I'm quite partial to a porridge bhuna, and lapping it up with my sporran.  :P
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Secret Santa on February 01, 2014, 01:29 AM
and lapping it up with my sporran.  :P

Sporrnaaan surely!  :o ;D
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: chewytikka on February 04, 2014, 02:01 PM
Just in case anybody gets confused to what an old school BIR Onion Bhaji looks like, here's a
snap I took last night of a batch two thirds cooked, draining on the bench.

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/3bf4650179e137002d22ede512fc4e87.png) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#3bf4650179e137002d22ede512fc4e87.png)

Made by Sarab, a retired Bengali Chef, helping out in his sons Take Away,
Even though I've made and watched tens of thousands of these being made over the years, It was still
interesting watching an old pro go at it, I did ask him why he added Green Capsicum to the mix,
Simple reply - We sell a lot and it makes them better than the next door TA's.

He also took a long time on the precook, with the oil on a moderate heat.
I was very impressed at the amount of care and attention given these humble Onion Bhajis.

Anyhoo, if your making these at home, this is what you should be aiming for, especially the pre-cook colour.
The precook should be yellow and the finished should be a golden crispy goodness.
cheers Chewy
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Garp on February 04, 2014, 03:57 PM
Your opinion is welcome, Chewy, but not gospel  ;D
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Secret Santa on February 05, 2014, 02:07 PM
Your opinion is welcome, Chewy, but not gospel  ;D

I have to agree with CT here garp. There are real onion bhajis like in CT's picture and then there is all the other stuff. I'd leave out the green pepper though, no onion bhaji purist would put that in, or potato, or any of the other strange things that seem to make up 'modern' bhajis.
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: Garp on February 05, 2014, 02:34 PM
So you agree, but don't agree?

Confused.com :)
Title: Re: Onion bhajis
Post by: curryhell on February 07, 2014, 10:50 PM
I'd leave out the green pepper though, no onion bhaji purist would put that in, or potato, or any of the other strange things that seem to make up 'modern' bhajis.
Sort of comment i would expected from our absent friend SS  ::)  Having made many portions of onion bhajis, IMHO the addition of potato, peppers lentils just adds to the eating experience and certainly does not detract from the traditional OB in any way.  I certainly receive no complaints when i serve up my offerings, and that includes positive comments from Indian work colleagues as well  :o :o  which make me feel a little humble.  But each to their own  ::)
Great pics from both jb and CT of the tasty golden morsels   :P :P