Topic: Amazing Onion Bhaji

[chewytikka]

Misleading post,   ;D just saying. ;D ;D
No where near a BIR Onion Bhaji

Its a Glasgow Indian Pakora
Ashoka Book recipe as posted.

The kind of thing supermarkets like Morrisons
do badly and sell as Onion Bhajis to the masses.

Plenty of real BIR Onion Bhaji threads on here!

A lot of onion Bhajis are ruined on the second cook in a restaurant, oil too hot
or not enough care taken in the busy kitchen.
Really annoys me when they bring out a frazzled Bhaji at the start of a meal.
Where ever I am, I make a point and ask for lightly done Bhajis, usually works.

cheers Chewy

[JonG]

Hi, can you please summarise the differences/ defining features of a BIR bhaji versus a Glasgow pakora as I don't know. Thank you. I'm trying to learn more about pakora and bhaji dishes in particular so this is quite interesting to me.

[chewytikka]

My quick summary

Pakora is any stuff coated in a batter and deep fried like fish from a fish and chip shop.

BIR Onion Bhaji is a semi dry mix of onion coated in Gram flour, formed into balls
with wet hands and deep fried, Very crispy on the outside, soft and juicy onion centre,
very loose and light. The thin coating of seasoned flour on the inside is fully cooked and fluffy.



cheers Chewy

[JonG]

Ok, so an onion bhaji would be sliced onions mixed with gram flour and spices then bound together with minimal egg? And a pakora by comparison would be a wet batter made with gram flour, spices plus water and then whatever onion, potato, carrot, etc you want to add (am I right so far?)

So the difference would be the greater amount of water in pakora and possibly higher ratio of gram flour to onion ratio, also the inclusion of egg in bhaji? Is that correct? 

So is including potato, lentils, etc in an onion bhaji a no-no or is it really just the greater amount of batter which makes it into a pakora?

Still trying to get this figured out and sorry if it's a thread hijack.  I've just taken receipt of a new mandoline which promises to make veg prep for this kind of recipe easier than ever before and want to decide on a recipe to test with. I mean a good, BIR recipe.

[Peripatetic Phil]

My intuitive understanding of the difference between the two is that a pakora has a surrounding batter "shell" whilst an onion bhaji has a batter coating on the individual onion slices (etc) which binds to adjacent slices (etc) but which does not form an overall surrounding shell.

** Phil.

[chewytikka]

Ok, so an onion bhaji would be sliced onions mixed with gram flour and spices then bound together with minimal egg? And a pakora by comparison would be a wet batter made with gram flour, spices plus water and then whatever onion, potato, carrot, etc you want to add (am I right so far?)

Yes, correct.

Just get on with it, : its just Bhaji or Pakora. don

[littlechilie]

My intuitive understanding of the difference between the two is that a pakora has a surrounding batter "shell" whilst an onion bhaji has a batter coating on the individual onion slices (etc) which binds to adjacent slices (etc) but which does not form an overall surrounding shell.

** Phil.

Also my understanding Phil, individual slices should be coated not just the exterior. This is achieved by opening them up when they are twice frying them.

One of the better examples out there, unfortunately doesn't show the second fry. I believe dipuarja1 did show this process..
https://youtu.be/GQvvmS6Yi5E