Topic: Bhajis !!

[livo]

I ended up with 10,  shared 1 with Mrs L straight out of the fryer, had 1 with dinner and then another warmed in the MW yesterday for a snack, so not a case of getting the dud.  Don't get me wrong,  I like them but for what's in them,  I just expect them to be better than they are and feel something is missing.

The salt content, addition, distribution and timing are of some importance. More salt means more salty flavour but it also means more water will be drawn from the onions. This would require extra flour which means a more doughy mixture. Salt can easily be added at any time during the mixing but some instruction is to add it late so excess moisture isn't drawn from the onion.  Distribution of salt and other spices is easy enough to get uniformity but it could be ensured by mixing with the flour before adding to the onion.

I actually noticed that my formed patties, resting on a dinner plate, became wetter and more sloppy the longer they sat waiting for their turn in the oil. The first 3 were quite dry, the next 3 a little wet and then 2 batches of 2. The last 2 were visibly wet and sticky. This didn't have any discernible effect on the cooked bhajis.

As I say, if the results I'm getting are standard then maybe it's just me expecting too much.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I would never warm onion bhaji in a microwave oven.  Pop them back in the deep fat fryer for 30 seconds or so, warm them in the halogen oven by all means, but if you put them in a microwave oven they will surely come out soggy ...

Incidentally, ajwain makes an interesting substitute for fennel.

[livo]

Only 15 seconds to remove the fridge chill Phil so not soggy. It isn't worth heating 3 litres of oil to warm 1 bhajis.

I'll give the ajwain a try. I was thinking of adding some Paprika or maybe using an All-purpose seasoning instead of plain salt. Perhaps the addition of some celery or cereal seed might work.