Topic: IG Onion Bhaji (Kitchen Demonstration)

[Cory Ander]

I always add fresh green chilli to the recipe, which I find gives it a little more body and certainly bite, without affecting the balance of flavours too much. I would certainly recommend trying this.

I appreciate what you're saying Axe.  And I understand (more and more so) that people's perceptions of what constitutes a BIR onion bhaji (or, indeed, any other BIR curry dish) varies enormously.

For me, adding aniseed, fresh chillies or potatoes (or lentils, or ajwain seeds) to an onion bhaji takes it away from what I (in my personal experience) constitutes a typical, traditional, BIR onion bhaji.

The moral of the story is, I suppose, "each to their own".....

For me, given the "correct" cooking method (which I think is not too elaborate but simply ensuring the oil is hot enough to cook them throughout and not so hot that it cooks them too quickly, or burns them, and perhaps double cooking them) the main "lesson" learnt is to minimise the liquid content of the mixture (thereby minimising the "mushiness" inside the bhajis).

[Domi]

For me, adding aniseed, fresh chillies or potatoes (or lentils, or ajwain seeds) to an onion bhaji takes it away from what I (in my personal experience) constitutes a typical, traditional, BIR onion bhaji.

The moral of the story is, I suppose, "each to their own".....

BIR is constantly changing and not all the changes are a step backwards. Whilst the IG bhajis may not be the "traditional old style bhaji", they are (for me) better tasting, better consistency and definitely my forum fave bhaji recipe at this time. I don't really care what ingredients go into them as long as A. they taste good and B. are an improvement on previous recipes, the IG recipe ticks both boxes, tradition or no ;D

[moonster]

hi all,

i have tried this recipe and although very good. can i ask the question is the scaled down version of the onions at 4 at 5cm diamater (because that is four massive spanish onions) i would need two mixing bowls to fit all that in. I stopped at two 5cm diamater onions because it filled one mixing bowl and used the spice measurements of the scaled down versions with the green chillies. i thought the cooking time and finished result was excellent but bland in the spice department. i have read through most of this thread and came across razors pics who is using what looks like the same mixing bowl from (asda) as me but his proprtion of spices to onion of mine was totally different he appears to have used half the onion as was in my bowl. Could anyone weigh the onion you are using for this recipe as i think this is where both me and SS are getting this wrong in the taste dept.

thanks, moonster

[moonster]

sorry,

cant believe i have made that mistake lol. just realised i have been using 5 inch diamater onions as opposed to 5 cm.
 

i wonder if SS done the same ;D

[Razor]

Hi Moonster, cm's and inches make all the difference mukka, just ask my wife

So, how did you find these bhaji's overall?  I think the technique is perfect and is, in my opinion, top quality BIR grade.  The spicing is personal preference.  I like mine hot, so now use fresh chilli as standard.

It's quite timely that you have made these.  I don't know if you are aware but here on cr0, we have a band of recipe testers and bhaji's are next on the list.  Once the chicken tikka recipe results have been published, we'll get cracking on these as soon as.

Ray

[Secret Santa]

i have been using 5 inch diamater onions...i wonder if SS done the same ;D

Jesus, Joseph and Mary!

I don't think I've ever seen a 5 inch onion, never mind used one. You aren't from land of the giants are you?

[moonster]

 ;D lol at both SS and Razor. i think they might be mutated onions on teesside due to all the smog in the air .
 seriously though that was what i was using. I am making some more up tomorrow with the correct size onions so they should be good this time in the spice dept.

regards moonster

[Secret Santa]

due to all the smog in the air .

I did a double take when I read that! All I'll say is that I didn't read it as 'smog'.  ;D

[Malc.]

Moonster, the spicing level in the scaled down IG recipe is quite low. As Ray has said, it's great for people who are not so keen on hot food. I always add fresh green chilli for instance.

I am amazed at how much bjaji's vary from restaurant to restaurant. I had some the other day that were loaded with Ajwain, a more traditional ingredient perhaps, but it was far to over powering and threw them away! Not something I have ever, ever, done before.

I never knew onions could get so big until I popped in our local Indian Grocers. They had what looked like Spanish Onions but the size of a small melon! I have never seen anything like it. Mind you, there was quite alot of veg I had never seen before as well.

[Willyeckerslike]

I made these last night for the second time but I was going to try chriswg's version but I couldn't get any kashmiri massalla.
Anyway I used aniseed for the first time which I managed to find on my local market.  I have just realised I made a mistake - I halved the onion amount to 2 but never halved the spices : and I also added 2 red chillies.
Result was probably the best Onion bhaji I have ever made or indeed tasted.  I think the aniseed is the key instead of fennel seed & not halving on the spices was a good mistake to make ;D

thanks again Axe