Topic: Amazing Onion Bhaji

[gazman1976]

Ingredients

140g gram flour
1tsp salt
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground turmeric
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2tsp chilli powder
2tsp lemon juice
2tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil, plus enough for deep-frying
2-8tbsp water
2 onions, thinly sliced
2tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed


Method
Sift the gram flour, salt, cumin, turmeric, bicarbonate of soda and chilli powder into a large bowl. Mix in the lemon juice and oil and then very gradually stir in just enough water to form a batter with a similar consistency to that of single cream. Now mix in the onions and the crushed coriander seeds.

Heat enough oil for deep-frying in a wok or deep-fat fryer until it reaches 180C or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Without overcrowding the pan, drop in spoonfuls of the onion mixture and fry for 2 minutes. Then use tongs to flip the bhajis over and continue frying for a further 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Immediately remove the bhajis from the oil and drain well on kitchen paper. Fry the remaining batches of bhajis and serve with chutney or pakora sauce

[chriswg]

Hi Gazman

I'm always pleased to see new ideas for Onion Bhajis. They just seem to be impossible to get as good as at the takeaway where they are light golden in colour, crispy on the outside but soft and thoroughly cooked inside.

I've never seen oil mixed into the batter mixture before but I'm happy to give it a go. Do you prefer groundnut or vegetable? I've only used groundnut in Chinese cooking in the past.

Regarding the cooking method, I'm very doubtful they would cook thoroughly in 4 minutes at 180 degrees. I usually aim for 7 - 8 minutes at around 140 degrees and even then the insides usually have a slightly raw taste. I think the only way the BIR's manage to make them so soft is by cooking them in the morning and leaving them on the side for 5 - 6 hours before they use them. I imagine they keep overnight in the fridge too before the second cook through. When I make them I always eat them straight away.

Anyway, keep up the good work. If you have any pics I'd be interested to see them, especially of one broken in half.

Chris

[Panpot]

thanks for the post, if it helps watching the chef at The Ashoka cook Pakora he left the ingredients without the water and gram flour to draw out the fluid from the onions for a few hours. This meant that he needed very little if any water when he added the flour.

He also half cooked and withdrew them to ensure they cooked through before addding them again just before final stage and serving. I suspect Bhajis are the same. PP

[gazman1976]

Hey all i am new to indian cooking but not eating lol, i went for a cookery course at the ashoka in the kitchens and we made several starters and a couple of mains, if you follow the recipe for the onion bhaji to the T then you will not be dissapointed, i also posted their spicy onions which r amazing and very simple to make !!!

Enjoy

[Panpot]

Cool,  it would be good to share notes, given my posts from The Ashoka did you get insights to anything the chef could have missed for me? PP

[gazman1976]

not read your notes about the ashoka yet but i will tonight, they did not show me their base sauce, only how to make dishes such as madras and stuff ,i found the starters easiest to make but i cant seem to make their main dishes so i gave up last year until i saw this website last week, what base do you recommend, i prefer madras curries

[Panpot]

You will find The genuine Ashoka base here however given that most of us are in search of the perfect Madras if you could post the recipe you got we could probably fill in the missing bits from my notes and others experience.

[pforkes]

THis seems to be a simpler recipe than the others I have come across.

When ever I cook onion bhajis they come out 'floury' on this inside.

I am guess that I am under cooking them.

It will have been 14-years (on Christmas Day) since I left England, but I am beginning to think that they should be cooked more (almost slightly burnt, in taste) with a darker golden colour and a crunchier taste.

Any feedback appreciated.

[chriswg]

Its a very common problem and isn't one that has (IMO) been satisfactorily answered. How do you cook the onions so they are very tender while getting the fried onion taste AND not burning the batter and spices? I think they are cooked 90% of the way in medium hot oil (around 140 - 150 degrees) then left for 5 or 6 hours before being used. I think in this time the onion continues to cook while it cools and it probably released the rest of its water resulting in that soft inside texture. Has anyone properly tried this? Its on my list and will be the next thing I try.

[Cory Ander]

They look very nice Pforkes,

There is quite a lot on how to best cook them in some of the other onion bhaji recipe threads...including this one:  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1820.0