Topic: Amazing Onion Bhaji

[Stephen Lindsay]

Hey gazman I've just made these and they are terrific, so thanks for posting the recipe. Not sure if course if they count as Glasgow bhajis or not. They're not Dundee bhajis for sure. In Dundee we specialise in gadgies more than bhajis.

[gazman1976]

thanks for trying, yes they are Glasgow ones, got the recipe from an old friend who used to work in a famous glasgow BIR

[DalPuri]

Downloaded The Ashoka book from the link that Les posted the other day, (pdf book planet)
 made the bhajis and also the fish kebabs. (the latter worth making again)
They were ok, I'd say these were more pakora than bhaji and not much flavour but they did have a nice melt in the mouth texture. Soft inside and crispy on the outside. Very light probably down to the bicarb.  Had to up the gram flour after making the recipe to spec as it didnt quite work with the batter being so thin. As soon as the spoonfuls were dropped into the oil, they spread out across the pan. Nothing was holding them together.

I wondered if anyone had posted the recipe before....  

[youngisthan]

I think no bhaji can beat onion bhaji its has some unique taste which differ it from rest.

[Onions]

Mushroom bhaji...

[korant]

Bhaji cravings were reignited by the last visit to the best local Indian restaurant.

I had a 2 year old box of GITS pakora mix packed for vacation. Onions were fresh out of the ground. I followed directions mainly on the GITS box, minus coriander and chili and used coconut oil for frying instead of PUFA oil. Results were better than any restaurant.

The next batch, after the GITS mix was used up was a disaster, probably the worst bhajis ever as I had to use canned chickpeas. Soggy oily disaster.

Next attempt at home was with Hewa brand chickpea flour and  usual spices like salt, chili, asafoetida and bicarb. Edible but not good. I had also been messing around with adding rice flour to the mix. Intersesting the GITS uses ajwain in their mix. Every time I use that spice it ruins what I'm making.

So my suspicions are that the besan/gram has to be real besan, not chickpea, as western chickpea is not the same as Indian. The besan probably has to be roasted. Some brands might just be raw ground besan. Coconut oil makes a good difference.

I went back to the GITS packets and again another perfect bhaji, no rice flour added this time. Perfectly crunchy, perfect cook, no raw flavor. Oil needs to be HOT, don't put too many bhajis in the pot at once, and make them on the small side so they cook through easier, and slice the onions very thin.

I would like to be able to make my own pakora powder though. I bought a bag of besan this time, not chickpea flour, but it's untested.

The spices are important but less important than the above imo.  Letting the onions sit in the powder without adding water does work to draw water out of them. But maybe they get soggy as a result of losing their water?? not sure.

[Sverige]

I'm always pleased to see new ideas for Onion Bhajis. They just seem to be impossible to get as good as at the takeaway where they are light golden in colour, crispy on the outside but soft and thoroughly cooked inside

I think like with many deep fried foods, the reason the home cooked doesn't match the restaurant version is you need to double or triple fry foods to get them the same as the pros results. Next time you do bhajis, cook them most of the way then let cool and leave them hanging around in the fridge for a day, then refry them a shorter time just to crisp up.  That's the only way you get the right moisture level throughout as it takes time for the middle bits to dry out a little bit and this moisture softens the outer layer, which is fixed with the second fry.

Same principle for many other deep fried goodies such as fried chicken, even chips in a chipshop. Chinese chicken balls too. Fry, cool, dry and fry again.

[Gav Iscon]

I tend to make them a bit bigger than golf ball size so they cook in one go then warm and crisp up in an oven. Last big batch I made for a party for my daughter had disappeared before I got he rest of the stuff out.    Cant remember the recipe I use but its of here and I have it printed in my little curry crib book. Quick onion Bhajis springs to mind.

[JonG]

Bhajis are always one to make double the quantity you think you need! I make them to a recipe from someone's book. Can t remember the author but it's years old. Most recipes are imprecise anyway so you end up eyeballing the amount of gram flour, water, etc.

Frying twice might be the way most BIRs seem to do it but mine never last long enough for that.

[Madrasandy]

Careful you don't burn them Gav Iscon, nothing worse than burn't bhaji's  ;D