Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Starters & Side Dishes => Starters & Side Dishes => Bhajis (Onion, Pakora, Mushroom, Vegetable, etc => Topic started by: chriswg on July 07, 2009, 12:40 PM
-
Onion Bhaji Recipe v1.0
As promised, below is my recipe for Onion Bhajis. After about 12 failed attempts resulting in supermarket quality Bhajis, I almost gave up. I?m sure everyone here at some stage will have made burnt spicy raw onion cakes. After lots of trial and error I came up with the recipe and method below. To my surprise (and joy) my wife (and biggest critic) now prefers these to the ones from the takeaway. We even did a head to head test and these came out on top!
They freeze really well so make a big batch and just defrost and reheat (Follow Step 10).
Ingredients (Makes 8 ? 10 Bhajis)
2 Large Onions
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Chilli Powder (Mild or Hot depending on preference)
1 Tsp Asafoetida
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 Tbsp Fennel Seeds
1 Tbsp Black Onion Seeds
1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek (Methi) Leaves
1 Tbsp Fresh Coriander
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice (fresh or bottled)
Fresh Chillis (optional depending on taste)
Gram Flour
Method
1. Slice the onions pole to pole very finely and put to one side.
2. In a large mixing bowl add everything else including 1 cup of gram flour (sifted if you have time).
3. Add very small amounts of water at a time and mix until you have a very very thick batter.
4. Add the onions and mix well so all the onions are covered.
5. Place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will draw a lot of moisture out of the onions making the batter a bit thinner. You still want it sticky rather than runny.
6. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon to get everything mixed together really well. If the mix is a bit too runny, just add in small amount of gram flour until it is just sticky again.
7. Now for the most important bit, preheat your oil in a medium sized saucepan to around 140 degrees (any hotter and the mix cooks too quickly on the outside and the onion will have a raw taste).
8. Drop in 2 balls (slightly bigger than golf balls) of mixture at a time and reduce the hob to low. You need to maintain a temperature of around 130 degrees (it will drop by at least 10 degrees when you put the bhajis in). Any lower than 125 degrees and the will go greasy and break up, and higher than 140 and they cook too quickly.
9. Turn them every couple of minutes until they start to go golden brown (after about 6 ? 8 minutes). I like to then remove them from the pan and put 2 more in. While they cool I use the back of a large spoon to squash them into 1 inch thick disks.
10. You can then either freeze them like this or cook them for another 3 ? 4 minutes if you are eating them immediately. For the second cook through the oil still needs to remain at around 130 degrees. They will be very crispy and cooked all the way through.
11. Once cooked put them onto a piece of kitchen roll and fold it over so you can squeeze a bit of the fat from them before serving.
12. Very important tip ? Save the oil in a bottle to use next time. Once you have made these 2 or 3 times, the oil will smell amazing and the bhajis will taste even better. Wait until it is completely cool then pour it into the bottle. When you next use it, if you have a few floaters in the oil, just pass it through a sieve when you pour it into the saucepan.
I hope you all enjoy these as much as my wife and I do. Any hints or advice to make them even better are always welcome. I know some people like to put yoghurt, mint or eggs into theirs but personally I didn?t like the flavours or textures they produce.
I think once you have the cooking method sorted most of the spices can be changed around depending on taste. I love the aniseed flavour from the fennel seeds so I usually add an extra tablespoon of those in.
-
Hi Chriswg
Welcome to this excellent forum.
I have just run out of my last batch of Bhaji's and in need to make some more. Up until now , I have made Chilli Prawns[url]http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1334.0/url]which are very good. I'm going to give yours a go, and will let you know how I get on with them.
-
Wow.
6 TBSP of spices and a tsp of asafoetida.
I can't help but think that would completely overpower two onions.
I am dying for a great bhaji recipe (dipping sauce too) but this seems a little overbearing.
Anyone tried this?
-
It does sounds like a lot of spices for so few onions.
Probably a pretty good method of producing spiced oil though! :P
-
I have just weighed what I class as a large onion and it is about 300g (I use the really big ones that usually come in nets of 3 at most UK supermarkets). Regarding the spices, try it and let me know. This is only v1.0 of the recipe based on me trying to remember what I put in last time I made them! I'm sure with a bit of help and feedback this will be a perfect recipe by version 1.5. Try is as it stands and let me know your thoughts. I'm going to make another batch soon and I will post some photos.
-
I just realized there should be a teaspoon of Turmeric in there too. Its very important to give it the yellow colour.
-
More spice ;D
-
I agree it looks like a lot of but the proof is in the tasting. My earlier attempts all tasted so bland. I'm looking forward to hearing some constructive criticism once you have all tried them.
-
WOW!! This is by far the best recipe I have tried. Having over 4 years experience of trying different recipes, this is as close to a restaurant quality bhaji I have experienced. Possibly even better! Not over spiced at all so no need for concern. Nice strong, deep flavour and great texture/consistency. I would highly recommend to anyone. I will be making another batch tomorrow!
Tell me.....
-
lol rubberdingy. It appears that you joined this forum at 1.09pm today, tried this recipe, made this one post, and all by 1.18pm. Quite an amazing feat lol You must certainly know your onions lol!
-
I cooked a batch of these for rubberdinghy a couple of weeks ago before joining this forum. He was genuinely blown away, especially given our earlier attempts and little ghee accident!
-
And it just so happens that he now joins the forum to talk about them.
Busted.
I will wait for someone else to chime in on this recipe before trying. I've never seen more than a pinch of asafoetida described in a recipe, no matter how huge the onions were.
-
What do you mean 'busted'? I used to work with him and I emailed him today to tell him how good the site is. Admittedly it looks like a blatant plug, but apart from my wife and 2 kids, he is the only person that has tried them. He is coming over next weekend and we are going to attempt on of the Madras recipes. I cant wait!
-
there's enough in this recipe to tempt me to give it a go this weekend.
i'll have to leave the asafoetida and methi out (don't like them one bit) so it won't be an exact spec view.
i've had 976bar's mint sauce on my todo list for a while which i'll try out too http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2686.0
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2686.0)
-
Hi chriswg.
Well I just tried these and...disappointed really. Unlike the others I didn't think that the spicing was too much from reading the recipe, so I made it exactly as stated. The flavour was, if anything, understated and certainly not anything like any bhaji I've had from a restaurant.
I have to say the spice mix is a little weird to me, having neither coriander or cumin in it and relying almost totally on garam masala. The problem is that garam masala covers a very wide range of spice blends. And the lemon juice...why?
BTW, I don't understand vague measures like 'cups' and 'large' (as in onions), proper weights would have been nice.
So it was a miss for me but I'd love some feedback from others to see if they agree or not.
-
i'll have to leave the asafoetida and methi out (don't like them one bit) so it won't be an exact spec view.
But then it wouldn't be his recipe and any comments you might make, good or bad, would be unrepresentative. Also, both those ingredients have a different effect in a bhaji compared to using them in a curry. I really think you should really try it exactly as spec on the first go.
-
Secret Santa
Not tried these yet, but will do at some point. Hope I will not be as disappointed as you, but we all have different tastes.
As for large, yes rather vague. A cup, is an international measure. As to what the weight equivalent is, I do not know. I'm sure someone on this forum would be able to put us all right on that matter.
-
I really think you should really try it exactly as spec on the first go.
Secret Santa,
How did the 1 tsp of hing come through - did it overpower and chuck the recipe out of balance - given that i used a "pinch" in the test curry i made recently and did not like it - the 1 tsp seems too high.
the observation on the garam is v.important. there is such a wide variation between home made and bought and probably between brands. i will use my trusted East End.
i'll try the recipe as spec (but make a smaller amount than planned and make another batch without the hing and methi).
chriswg,
my hing/asafoetida packet is only 50g, perhaps you are using the yellow hing not the black/brown concentrated stuff?
-
A cup, is an international measure. As to what the weight equivalent is, I do not know. I'm sure someone on this forum would be able to put us all right on that matter.
A "cup" is a liquid measure (not a weight measure) and equals 8 fluid ounces (about 250ml)...unless you're in America or Canada of course :P
I "cup" of gram flour (besan) weighs about 100g
-
please remove
-
How stupid of me. Of course there is no weight equivalent for a 1 Cup measure, slightly inebriated last night. :)
I stand corrected on the American and Canadian Cup, they are different.
-
Not stupid at all QPRB. It does get confusing when the "international measures" vary throughout the world! It's probably clearest to stick with actual weights for weights of ingredients I feel (provided it's metric of course!)! Saves a lot of confusion! :-\
-
Secret Santa,
How did the 1 tsp of hing come through - did it overpower and chuck the recipe out of balance
Well it didn't really seem to feature as a dominant flavour BUT I used the vandevi powder which is all I had to hand, and I do not think this is a very good variety of hing. The spice balance was just wrong for me in having too many whole spices and then only garam masala. It just didn't seem to work but, as I said before, I hope other people try this as it's so easy to make bhajis, and I'd like some other opinions.
-
Hi chriswg.
Well I just tried these and...disappointed really. Unlike the others I didn't think that the spicing was too much from reading the recipe, so I made it exactly as stated. The flavour was, if anything, understated and certainly not anything like any bhaji I've had from a restaurant.
I have to say the spice mix is a little weird to me, having neither coriander or cumin in it and relying almost totally on garam masala. The problem is that garam masala covers a very wide range of spice blends. And the lemon juice...why?
BTW, I don't understand vague measures like 'cups' and 'large' (as in onions), proper weights would have been nice.
So it was a miss for me but I'd love some feedback from others to see if they agree or not.
Hi Secret Santa
Firstly, thank you for trying the recipe and leaving feedback. I'm sorry that you found them disappointing in flavour. What were your thoughts regarding the cooking method? Maybe they taste better the more you reuse the oil, mine are always packed with flavour.
Regarding your thoughts on the spices, there is a tablespoon of cumin seeds and a tablespoon of fresh coriander in the recipe, do you think it would be better suited to using ground cumin and coriander? The lemon juice I think gives a fresh taste and goes really well with onions. I always put a big squeeze of lemon juice over them before eating too.
The measurements are just how I make them. I have a set of measuring cups and I just fill one and pour it in. Next time I make them I will note how much a cup of gram flour weighs. The 2 onions equal approximately 500 grams (in total not each).
Did you notice the later post about including 1 Tsp of Turmeric, that makes a big difference to the flavour and the colour.
Any other thoughts or suggestions would be very welcome.
-
Hi SS,
I would also love to see others' opinions on this. I wouldn't necessarily agree that "it is so easy to make bhajis" though. It seems to me that the problem with making bhajis is:
a) having the correct recipe to give the BIR flavour
b) Having the cooking method to give the crispness (throughout the entire bhaji)
The challenge, it seems to me, is to make a bhaji that's not lacking in flavour and that doesn't have stewed (undercooked) onions but are crisp throughout the entire bhaji.
I'm sure that once you have both the above it is a doddle though! :P
-
I agree with Cory. I'm hoping this recipe will give a good solution to b). As for getting the balance of spices right, is there a correct answer? No 2 restaurants ever have the same tasting bhajis. Some have quite a spicy kick, some have a strong aniseed taste. I am now convinced that the oil is very important to the final result. Here is a picture of the oil I use, look how dark it has gone compared to fresh oil. That's only after about making 3 batches. With SS finding the results 'disappointing' the only difference must be with the oil used. I also cant stress enough how important it is to keep the temperature just right. I check it every few minutes with a sugar thermometer to make sure it isn't too high or too low. To get them cooked all the way through I believe they need to deep fry for at least 8 - 10 minutes in total after which they should still be golden brown rather than dark brown.
-
The challenge, it seems to me, is to make a bhaji that's not lacking in flavour and that doesn't have stewed (undercooked) onions but are crisp throughout the entire bhaji.
I totally agree. I'm almost always either burning the outside, or having that oil soaked onion cake centre.
-
Now use the dark oil in your base instead of your measured amount of new /fresh veg oil,
this goes a long way to getting the taste in your curries that I am aiming for,
Bob
-
What were your thoughts regarding the cooking method?
I don't think the method was the problem but, in my opinion, bhajis shouldn't be flat. They never used to be flat. They were always round, large, and always perfectly cooked all the way through. This flat bhaji technique seemed to arise at about the same time that the BIR curries took a nose dive, flavour wise, and to me meant that the people making them didn't know how to make a well-cooked round bhaji.
This is no criticism of you by the way, I still struggle to make a well cooked round bhaji.
there is a tablespoon of cumin seeds and a tablespoon of fresh coriander in the recipe, do you think it would be better suited to using ground cumin and coriander?
Cumin seeds and fresh coriander are not unusual in bhajis but the lack of either cumin powder, or coriander powder, or both, is. Relying on garam masala and turmeric and paprika doesn't seem to work.
The lemon juice I think gives a fresh taste and goes really well with onions. I always put a big squeeze of lemon juice over them before eating too.
A big squeeze of lemon juice over them when they are cooked is delicious but I fail to see what it adds to the bhaji mix. It seems to be one ingredient too many.
Did you notice the later post about including 1 Tsp of Turmeric, that makes a big difference to the flavour and the colour.
I did, and made the 30 second trip to my local indian grocers to get a new bag because I had run out. ;D
-
I wouldn't necessarily agree that "it is so easy to make bhajis" though.
I couldn't agree more CA. I actually have great difficulty in making the large size, perfectly cooked through, round bhajis of old. What I was saying was that that to whip up a few onions with spices and fry them up takes, what, 20 mins max? And to test a recipe you only need the taste. If it has bad texture, raw innards etc, isn't the problem (initially). The spicing is the main concern for me when testing a new recipe, and when that's right I'll worry about the other problems of bhaji making (which are numerous).
-
Now use the dark oil in your base instead of your measured amount of new /fresh veg oil,
this goes a long way to getting the taste in your curries that I am aiming for,
Bob
Hmmm, I sort of agree and disagree. The use of the bhaji cooking oil is essential in my opinion, however, I think if it is used it should go in at the curry cooking stage and not in the base. If it goes into the base it seems to lose its efficacy.
-
I totally agree. I'm almost always either burning the outside, or having that oil soaked onion cake centre.
Yes, I have/have-had the same problems. My best efforts have been when I make the mix up fresh. So whatever the bhaji recipe is it is made up in, say, five minutes maximum and then it's straight into the oil. All the methods that require standing time don't seeem to work for me.
-
Now use the dark oil in your base instead of your measured amount of new /fresh veg oil,
this goes a long way to getting the taste in your curries that I am aiming for,
Bob
Hmmm, I sort of agree and disagree. The use of the bhaji cooking oil is essential in my opinion, however, I think if it is used it should go in at the curry cooking stage and not in the base. If it goes into the base it seems to lose its efficacy.
I understand where you are coming from with your comment,
I have seen this oil albeit much darker from cooking a hundred or so bhajis not just a small batch or two, go into base gravy pots, and as a curry is nearly finished some of this oil is skimmed off the top of the pot and added to the curry,
if the oil is flavoured enough from the spices, onions and gram flour (burned) then it is powerful stuff and certainly adds a taste to the gravy which is not overpowering in kormas etc when used from the bottom of the pot, but gives a real kick to madras, bhuna type curries when skimmed off the top, ie the actual oil,
I also saw Maliks add a dark liquid that really coated the onions in the gravy pot(about 2 litres)they carried on making the gravy but added no other oil ,
I emailed them about this and they wouldn't answer other than to say it was new fresh oil that went into the gravy, but I know I'm not blind...
Bob
-
we had unusual tea last night - 2 bowls of rice and 2 batches of bhajis (1 batch chilli prawn, 1 batch chriswg as spec).
there was some good learning in it for me.
as a rev 1.0 recipe - not bad and quite a suprise in a few areas. i'll list in order of importance for me:
1) cooking method - no good - 140C cooking is just not hot enough causing the bhajis to take on too much oil. i've always used 160C and will be sticking to it.
2) fennel - the seeds are too big to add whole (they're out of balance as a result). i'd grind them for a few secs before adding (cut them in 1/2 is what u need).
3) fresh coriander - worked a treat (adopted going fwd)
4) turmeric - added a colour not sure it did much on taste. something i would have to try out a few times before deciding
5) methi and hing - big surprise - i could not pick out the individual tastes so i think i can use up my existing stocks which remain un loved
6) method of making - too much phaffing for me. i'll stick to CP's method. i particularly did not like making the batter and then adding to the onion. the CP method is to add the spice dry and mix with onion then add water (much easier).
7) chilli powder - obviously a personal thing - i've not come across it in BIR - won't be adding again.
8 ) the 1 cup gram flour was 120g (i actually made a 1/2 batch)
9) the oil - i used a deep fryer which i used for all my none chip frying.
interesting general observations:
A) i made both my norm mint sauce (includes some spice, i make both gary's and issiemc's http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2687.new;topicseen#new) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2687.new;topicseen#new))) and 976bar's. we very much liked 976bar's and used a whole tub 500g of yogurt for the 1st time. CP's bhajis went with both sauces. chriswg's did not go at all with my norm but went well with 976bar's.
the conclusion being that the combined taste of the bhajis and the mint sauce has a big influence on the overall taste.
B) chriswg's have a taste in them that CP's do not which i am sure is in the real BIR version. i don't know quite what it is though although i'm pretty sure it's down to something in the spicing. i would have to strip the recipe back and then try adding back ea spice one at a time to pin point what it is. a break through for me in terms of improving the taste of what i make regularly.
a very interesting and enjoyable evening. many thanks to chriswg for the inspiration.
pics CP bhaji (with coriander & turmeric), chriswg ingredients, chriswg bhaji
-
Hi Jerry,
Great post, I'm glad you had an enjoyable evening! I was also pleased to hear you risked the methi leaves and hing. I spoke to a very experienced indian head chef who said they put the hing in their recipe. Although raw it stinks a bit like rotten onions, I think in the bhaji it gives a nice oniony garlicy after-taste.
I'm surprised at your thoughts on the cooking method, mine have never taken up too much oil. I think there is a difference between cooking in a deep fat fryer and using a saucepan (maybe the amount of oxygen that they cook in?). I have seen videos of people cooking bhajis in DFF's at 180 degree for 6 minutes and them come out golden. If I did that in a saucepan they would be burned inside a minute (my thermometer may just be broken of course).
Looking at your results, I think maybe I have made some mistakes in my method as mine don't look anything like yours came out. I'll be making some tomorrow (my wife doesnt like the house stinking of bhajis all weekend or I'd be making some right now) and I'll put up the pictures.
For v1.1 I'll include the option of grinding up the fennel seeds, making the chilli powder optional and removing the lemon juice from the recipe. I'll also make the method a little clearer with the addition of photos. I still stand by the fact they should be cooked at 140 degrees but I'll buy a new thermometer over the weekend to make sure the other one is correct.
If anyone has any other thoughts then please let me know.
Jerry, thanks again for your road test and detailed feedback. I'm sure if we all put our thoughts together we can come up with a definitive cr0 bhaji recipe!
-
mine don't look anything like yours came out.
just for info i use 2 off desert spoons to "cup" the mixture and sort of drop it into the oil from just above the surface. it seems to work (i don't compress them with my hands or in any other way).
the key thing for me is that there was a BIR taste in your recipe that's not in CP's. i hope we can pin point what it is. it could be the methi and hing for example. the onion seeds are another contender. i feel it's unlikely to be paprika, fennel. i can't believe it's the chilli powder so that only leaves the methi, hing, onion seeds (kalonji) unless it's a combination.
we did have a real good night and chucked nothing away which says something.
best wishes
-
I have just finished a new batch and taken a few photos. I'll put them up photo by photo tomorrow (Top Gear is on!). Here is the finished product. They tasted really good although I think there is still plenty of room for improvement.
-
CWG
That looks very good indeed. Only problem for me, I'm of the school that Onion Bhaji's should be ball shape and not flattened,
-
Depending on just how big you like your round bhajis there probably isn't any reason to change this method, just leave out the flattening part. The raw mix is very sticky and easy to shape into balls. Anything up to golf ball size will be cooked evenly right the way through. If you want bigger then its probably more of a problem (I've never tried). In that case I would think you would have to soften the onions in a frying pan before adding to the gram flour and spice mix. You could probably fry them in some of the spices to pack them with added flavour. (NB don't fry them in garam masala or you will end up with a very bitter taste).
-
I'm not sure if this needs its own topic but as the previous one had so many posts I didn't want this to get lost. This is the closest I can get to BIR style at the moment but I have a couple of new ideas to play around with which may provide some interesting results.
I hope this is a lot easier to follow and I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts and ideas once they have tried them.
Onion Bhaji Recipe v1.1
They freeze really well so make a big batch and just defrost and reheat (Follow Step 10).
Ingredients (Makes 8 - 10 Bhajis)
500 Grams Onions
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Chilli Powder (Optional - Mild or Hot depending on preference)
1 Tsp Asafoetida
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 Tbsp Fennel Seeds (may be crushed or halved depending on preference)
1 Tbsp Black Onion Seeds
1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek (Methi) Leaves
1 Tbsp Fresh Coriander
150 Grams Gram Flour
Method
1. Slice the onions pole to pole very finely and put to one side.
2. In a large mixing bowl add everything else including 100 grams of gram flour (sifted if you have time). (Photo 2)
3. Add very small amounts of water at a time and mix until you have a very very thick batter. (Photo 3)
4. Add the onions and mix well so all the onions are covered. (Photo 4)
5. Place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes. This will draw a lot of moisture out of the onions making the batter a bit thinner. You still want it sticky rather than runny.
6. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon to get everything mixed together really well. Add in the remaining 50 grams of gram flour until the mixture is just sticky again.
7. Now for the most important bit, preheat your oil in a medium sized saucepan to around 140 degrees (any hotter and the mix cooks too quickly on the outside and the onion will have a raw taste).
8. Drop in 2 - 4 balls (slightly bigger than golf balls) of mixture at a time (Photo 5) and reduce the hob to low. You need to maintain a temperature of around 130 degrees (it will drop by at least 10 degrees when you put the bhajis in). Any lower than 125 degrees and the will go greasy and break up, and higher than 140 and they cook too quickly. (Photo 6)
9. Turn them every couple of minutes until they start to go golden brown (after about 6 - 8 minutes). I like to then remove them from the pan and put 2 more in. While they cool I use the back of a large spoon to squash them into 1 inch thick disks. (Photos 7 and 8 )
10. You can then either freeze them like this or cook them for another 3 - 4 minutes if you are eating them immediately. For the second cook through the oil still needs to remain at around 130 degrees. They will be very crispy and cooked all the way through.
11. Once cooked put them onto a piece of kitchen roll and fold it over so you can squeeze a bit of the fat from them before serving.
12. They are ready to eat! (Photos 9 and 10)
13. Very important tip - Save the oil in a bottle to use next time. Once you have made these 2 or 3 times, the oil will smell amazing and the bhajis will taste even better. Wait until it is completely cool then pour it into the bottle. When you next use it, if you have a few floaters in the oil, just pass it through a sieve when you pour it into the saucepan.
-
Hmm, pictures wont upload for some reason. They are only 212k each. Any ideas anyone?
-
chriswg,
just to sumarise on the ingredient changes for v1.1 : more turmeric turmeric, less cumin, no lemon juice, crush fennel.
i like the changes although i had no problem with the lemon.
thinking more of the BIR taste have u any thoughts on what it's down to. i'm thinking it could be down to the onion seed as the other spice tastes i feel i have a handle on.
-
I've just uploaded my bhaji pictures to my Picasa account. I cant upload them onto here, or imbed them. If anyone can imbed them for me then please do.
http://picasaweb.google.com/chriswg/OnionBhajis#
-
i followed panpots suggestion of mixing everything together and then leaving it for several hrs to soften and the water in the onion to make the batter ie add no extra water.
Panpot suggested around 4 to 5 hrs. i left mine most of the day probably about 7 hrs.
The method worked a treat. I simply can't believe such a simple change can make such a huge difference. The bhajis were as good as my local TA.
I actually found that i had to cook them longer than normal to get the centre to cook through (not to be too soft). I normally wait till they float but that's not long enough. i did not time it but around 5 mins feels sort of ball park. I cooked at 160C.
I used chriswg's rev 2 recipe and 976bar's mint sauce.
Cheers Panpot.
-
i followed panpots suggestion of mixing everything together and then leaving it for several hrs to soften and the water in the onion to make the batter ie add no extra water.
Panpot suggested around 4 to 5 hrs. i left mine most of the day probably about 7 hrs.
The method worked a treat. I simply can't believe such a simple change can make such a huge difference. The bhajis were as good as my local TA.
I actually found that i had to cook them longer than normal to get the centre to cook through (not to be too soft). I normally wait till they float but that's not long enough. i did not time it but around 5 mins feels sort of ball park. I cooked at 160C.
I used chriswg's rev 2 recipe and 976bar's mint sauce.
Cheers Panpot.
Those Bhaji's look delicious, well done Jerry :)
-
Hi Jerry
The bhajis look excellent. I found Panpots suggestion was a good way of getting the onions soft so you can mould them a bit easier, its amazing just how much water comes out of the onions.
Next time you make a batch, humour me and add in some very thinly sliced and matchsticked potato (use the slicing blade on the cheese grater if you have one). It would be great to hear your feedback on it. For me, it really improves the texture of the inside of the bhaji. When you are eating them, you would never know they have potato in.
-
chriswg,
it has crossed my mind before that there might be potato in some bhajis.
just for interest i will give it a try. the trouble is i don't see the potato melting in the same way the onion does over the 5 hr resting period - the pieces would have to be quite small to mix in to the extent they are not detectable.
the 3 of us really saw no need for any further improvement being as good as what we get from our local TA.
-
The trick is to get it really thin so the pieces are quite flexible. When you moult and fry your bhajis you wont even know they are in there, but the overall bhaji will (IMO) taste better.
It sounds like you have a pretty high bar set now for bhajis. Whether you think the potato improves the bhaji or not, at least you will be able to cross it off you perfect BIR list.
-
it has crossed my mind before that there might be potato in some bhajis
Why??? :o
i don't see the potato melting in the same way the onion does
Onions DO NOT MELT Jerry (nor, as you correctly point out, do potatoes!)! ::)
-
Perhaps melting isn't exactly the right word, but the onion really softens over the 4 hours. The potato doesn't break down in the same way, but you wont notice if they are thin enough.
-
i'd thought about potato in the past having eaten much of it in the mashed form before becoming aware of pasta and rice.
the BIR bhajis as stated much already are crisp on the outside but soft on the inside - producing for me a to die for combination.
before panpots suggestion of leaving the onion mix for the 4 to 5 hrs i'd always found the onion too hard to compress into a ball. on Saturday having followed the instruction and actually left the mixture the whole day ~7hrs i just could not believe the difference - ok they hadn't melted but the softness made all the difference.
chriswg - i will give the potato a go. at least then i'll know if it is or isn't in the ones i get from the TA.
-
I finally got round to trying the 'leave the bhajis for 8 hours after their first cook' idea. And I must say I was very pleasantly surprised. I cooked them in the morning for only a couple of minutes to get the batter set and a slight golden colour, then the went on a plate in the cupboard (room temperature) for the rest of the day. At curry time they got another quick dunk in the hot oil to heat through.
The was much more mushy on the inside and there wasn't any hint of rawness to them. the outside was nice and crisp with a lovely fried onion taste. Cooking them like this also ensures none of the spices got burned at any time either.
It sounds fairly obvious now I have tried it. Every BIR in the country pre cook their bhajis, normally at least half a day, sometimes 36 hours ahead of their useage. Everyone should give this a go and see what a big difference it makes.
-
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/b0242c542b3a9f9e456e5388b604e881.jpg)
Not the best picture ever, but the bhajis tasted excellent.
You should be able to click on the picture for a bigger version.
-
Dont know if it's been mentioned before in this post but you need to fry the onions first to soften them before they go into the spice batter.
Maybe adding the spice to the onions to soften them may give you the flavour your looking for. ;) and crispness
-
you ( DONT ) fry the onions first, in the BIR kitchens they certainly dont do it that way !!! they mix them up in a large bowl and then drop them into their fryers turning them as they cook a couple of times
only reason i know this is because i have been in the kitchen watching them cook them
-
The post was to make an earlier recipe better. :-\
Not frying first will make the Bhaji's crisp on the ouside soggy in the middle.
Soak in the batter then dip the mix onto spiced flour roll into balls and fry.
Spot on ;)
-
Hi Chilli
We are both solving the same problem in very similar ways. You are pre-frying then adding to the batter. I am adding to the batter and then pre-frying. I am certain that the BIR's use my method as it is quicker and easier for cooking in bulk. For small batches at home then maybe your method works as well. I did once try the pre-fried onions and I personally wasn't satisfied with the results.
Next time you make some try combining a couple of ideas on here by adding the dry spices to the chopped onion (and finely matchsticked potato) and leaving for a few hours to draw out the water from the onion. Dont use too much salt though or the results wont be very nice. Then add the gram flour to make the batter with no extra water unless needed. Then give them a quick fry. Leave to cool for a few hours. Then give them a final cook when ready to eat.
It sounds like a lot of work, but it really isnt. you just need to start the first stage either early in the morning, or the previous night.
-
Hi Chilli
Next time you make some try combining a couple of ideas on here by adding the dry spices to the chopped onion (and finely matchsticked potato) and leaving for a few hours to draw out the water from the onion. Dont use too much salt though or the results wont be very nice. Then add the gram flour to make the batter with no extra water unless needed. Then give them a quick fry. Leave to cool for a few hours. Then give them a final cook when ready to eat.
It sounds like a lot of work, but it really isnt. you just need to start the first stage either early in the morning, or the previous night.
Hi Chris
I use the method you refer to above and it produces spot on results, particularly the pre cooking and then the final cook later.
I have also found that experimenting with cooking temperature is important, to hot and the outside cooks to quickly and leaves the middle uncooked, not hot enough and they can get a bit soggy.
All just trial and error, I also freeze mine after the first pre cook then defrost and either finish in the oven or back in the fryer.
My ramblings FWIW.
Matt
-
You ramble away all you like. Its the best way for us all to learn. I bought a thermometer just for bhaji cooking and I usually aim for 140 degrees. This is quite a lot cooler than most suggest but for me it works well. I can do the first fry for 5 mins without any hint of burning on the outside. The final cook I may go as high as 150 degrees, but I think any higher and those spices burn in about 30 seconds.