Crispy, spicy fried onion bhajis are an Indian restaurant and takeaway classic. Make your own with this easy recipe!
Onion bhajis combined with flavourful chutney or pakora sauce are utterly delicious, and they’re also very easy to make. You can serve these onion bhajis with Indian restaurant style mint sauce.
Ingredients For Onion Bhajis
The main ingredient for onion bhajis is, as the name implies, onion. Finely sliced (for extra crispy bits), mixed with flavourful spices, coated in a flour mix and deep fried to golden, crispy perfection.
Onions: Large spanish onions are sweet and perfect for this recipe.
Spices: Cumin, Coriander, Turmeric, Garam Masala, Chilli Powder, Methi Leaves
Other Ingredients: Sea Salt, Fresh Lemon Juice, Fresh Coriander Leaves & Stems, Gram Flour, Rice Flour or Plain Flour, Bicarbonate of Soda, Water
How To Make Onion Bhajis
If you’ve ever made vegetable pakora, then you’ll find lots of similarities with this recipe. The sliced onions, garlic, ginger, sea salt, lemon juice and fresh coriander are mixed and set aside to rest. During this time, the salt encourages water from the onions, which reduces the amount of added water needed. This then leads to a fuller flavour in the finished onion bhajis.
Step 1: Mix
Put the sliced onion, garlic ginger paste, coriander seeds, cumin powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric, dried fenugreek leaves, sea salt, fresh coriander leaves and fresh lemon juice or lemon dressing in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside for 1 hour.
Step 2: Fry
Heat the oil for deep frying to about 160c/320f. If you’re using a deep fat fryer with a basket, remove the basket before heating the oil (the bhajis would stick to the basket).
Add 50g of the gram flour and all the rice flour to the onion mixture and mix thoroughly, adding a little of the water until the mixture thickens slightly and slides slowly off a spoon (add the remaining gram flour if needed). Using two spoons, carefully add the bhaji mix to the hot oil, 1 heaped tablespoon at a time (the mix should be enough for 4-6 bhajis depending on size). Fry the bhajis for about 5 minutes, turning them occasionally until just beginning to colour. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bhajis from the oil and set aside on a plate to cool completely. At this stage the bhajis can be finished immediately, or covered and set aside in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
To finish the onion bhajis, heat the oil for deep frying to about 180/350f. Carefully place the bhajis in the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes until heated through, golden and crispy. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off excess oil.
Step 3: Serve
Season the bhajis with a little sea salt, then serve with pink pakora sauce.
- 1 medium-large onion (about 190g peeled weight), halved and sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pinch bicarbonate of soda
- 1 small handful fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or lemon dressing
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
- 50-75 grams gram flour (chickpea flour)
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- 1-2 tablespoons water
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Put the sliced onion, garlic ginger paste, coriander seeds, cumin powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric, dried fenugreek leaves, sea salt, fresh coriander leaves and fresh lemon juice or lemon dressing in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside for 1 hour.
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Heat the oil for deep frying to about 160c/320f. If you're using a deep fat fryer with a basket, remove the basket before heating the oil (the bhajis would stick to the basket). Add 50g of the gram flour and all the rice flour or plain to the onion mixture and mix thoroughly, adding a little of the water until the mixture thickens slightly and slides slowly off a spoon (add the remaining gram flour if needed). Using two spoons, carefully add the bhaji mix to the hot oil, 1 heaped tablespoon at a time (the mix should be enough for 4-6 bhajis depending on size). Fry the bhajis for about 5 minutes, turning them occasionally until just beginning to colour. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bhajis from the oil and set aside on a plate to cool completely. At this stage the bhajis can be finished immediately, or covered and set aside in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
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To finish the bhajis, heat the oil for deep frying to about 180/350f. Carefully place the bhajis in the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes until heated through, golden and crispy. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off excess oil.
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Season the bhajis with a little sea salt and serve with pink pakora sauce.
This recipe uses dried fenugreek leaves (also known as ‘methi’) which you can buy here.
Do you like this Indian restaurant style onion bhajis recipe? If so, buying a copy of my book might appeal to you! In The Indian Takeaway Secret you can find a host of restaurant and takeaway style recipes that you can make at home. You’ll learn how to make fish pakora, spiced onions, chapatis, pilau rice and more! You can buy The Indian Takeaway Secret in paperback or kindle form here.
- McGovern, Kenny (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages – 05/06/2021 (Publication Date) – Robinson (Publisher)
