Dipuraja's Onion Bhaji Recipe

[Cory Ander]

Sorry if you considered it a barrage

But I thought it was you that considered it a "barrage" Mikka? 

[JerryM]

i've now tried this recipe. i had no lentils or orange colouring and used Basaar in place of the Pataks.

i based the recipe on a desert spoon which is what i think Dipuraja used - it's quite different to what he lists in the text below the video and repeated at the start of this post.

on the 1st go i copied the video in cooking them twice straight away ie they did not cool. i felt the 180C to be too hot giving too dark an appearance before the bhajis were cooked right the way through.

the gently squashing took me by suprise and i think there might be something in it afterall.

i feel the potato worked well and i'm pretty much sold on adopting going fwd.

the taste was very good. not a significant difference c/w the chilli prawn (which i use as std) but for sure more flavour along the lines of chriswg's recipe.

i've left most of the uncooked batch to make tonight ie they've had more than 5 hrs to go soft.

ps i forgot to put the salt in the chilli prawn batch and the onion did not soften in the day which is over 5hrs. - u need salt in the recipe.

Dipuraja's - Ingredients


Dipuraja's - LH gently broken open before cooking RH not touched (RH was 1st in and got a little too cooked)


Batches after resting all day LH Dipuraja's RH Chilli Prawn

[Mikka1]

You've always something to add as a footnote Cory.

But I thought it was you that considered it a "barrage" Mikka? 

[Malc.]

Jerry, i'd love you or Chris, or anyone else for that matter, to have a try at my recipe using the two cook method. Whilst I am hoping to be able to scrap this very recipe tomorrow after my bhaji demo, it would be good to view comments on comparison to other recipes being used on here. Especially, as this will help me to judge people pallettes, as I know how these taste.

If can be so bold, I would comment that the batter after resting in both pictures seems too wet. It would also seem that your bhaji was a fair bit smaller than Dipuraja's, would you agree with this?

[Mikka1]

Axe. Oddly enough he does precook it if you look. I think there are many household recipes that suggest this for various things not least chips of course. The first fry is tempering the second the actual cooking.

Someone here had a completely oven baked recipe if I remember rightly? At least the looked as though they were? Sort of rounded on a plate, sort of placed there in fact for oven baking. Perhaps Cory will know?

Jerry, i'd love you or Chris, or anyone else for that matter, to have a try at my recipe using the two cook method.

[Malc.]

Axe. Oddly enough he does precook it if you look.

Mikka,

You've lost me here, I think perhaps you misunderstood my comment.

[chriswg]

Axe - Your recipe is very similar to mine. I'm happy to give it a go next time I make some but at the moment the method is more important than the ingredients. On the first taste I thought the Dipuraja method was awful. I ended up with a big mouthful of raw potato. But the second batch was much better.

Jerry - I think you have to ditch the long marinate method. With the onions that soft and a wet batter the bhaji gets too dense and the hot oil cant penetrate all the way to the middle for long enough. I had just about decided on this after last Saturdays effort, and then Dipuraja's video went online which backed up my suspicions. You need to keep the onions hard with just a coating of gram flour so when you gently form the balls there is lots of air inside the bhaji which the oil can penetrate into and cook from within. Think birds nest for consistancy.

Once I get better this should facilitate being able to cook massive bhaji's to perfection. At the moment I'll stick to palm sized ones.

[JerryM]

Axe,

i'll give u're recipe ago. it's got me bugged now this bhajis thing.

Chriswg,

i'm not sure on anything after this last go - i ended up below par. i am sure this was solely down to me trying the 2 stage cook and making a bit of hash - i overcooked.

LH Dipies, RH Chilli Prawn's (Dipey or Dipuraja is now well known by the family)


comment on the comparison:

i overcooked a tad in following the 2 stage cook for the 1st time. the bhajis were a tad hard on the outside. Dipies just lost out to Chilli Prawns solely down to an after taste which i put down to the dried methi (family like me are not overly keen and maybe i put a tad too much in).

i mixed the "opened up" bhajis after stage 1 cook with the left alone. i told no one that potato was in dipies. no one commented on either the potato or that some were softer inside than others. i too could tell no difference whatsoever.

the only general comment which i tend to agree with is that BIR bhajis don't really have that much flavour - it's the combination with the mint sauce that makes the dish. on that basis Chilli prawns were considered closer to BIR (less flavour and certainly a lot cheaper).

i'm in a bit of a conundrum as to the long marinade (~5hrs). in the past i've felt this works better than frying straight away. what i did find that the "extra" batter inside the bhajis as a result was very soft but not that brill in terms of the overall flavour (we like the onion not the batter). i'll try out Axe's recipe before making any final decision.

conclusion at the mo : stick with what i do already - cook once 160C and reheat in microwave. use only onion. cook as soon as the onions soften enough to make a ball.

ps i think i've signed up to Dipies utube site as i remain big fan.

[peterandjen]

Don't forget that when twice frying chips the first fry is at a lower temperature for so long(don't know the actual temp or time period) The second fry is hotter for less time.
This way you dont really colour the food on the first fry, its gently cooked through.
The second fry being hotter makes for the crisp and the colour.

[haldi]

I gave Dipuraja's recipe a go
The flavour is excellent, but I had problems getting the centre of the bhajee cooked through
I will definitely use his recipe again but make the bhajees a smaller
This will definitely get round this problem
All in all, a very good result though (except the middle)
I'm so glad this chef is sharing his recipes
It's so much better having the video as well
I wonder if this might prompt, another BIR chef, to post as well