Onion Bhaji

lynxpilot's Note:

An accompaniment for Indian dishes. It's sort of the Indian equivalent of onion rings. It's deep fried, and doesn't sit well for long, so it's important to sequence cooking it so it comes out of the fryer and goes onto the plate. As with any recipe I submit, the ingredient quantities are a baseline, not exact, and I recommend you adjust them to your taste and type.

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 onions (large yellow or white)
• ½ cup vinegar
• 2⁄3; cup flour
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1 quart vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Peel the onions and slice them so they form rings. Slices should be as thin as possible (1/8 to 3/16"). Cut the rings to form strands about 1-2" long.
2. Put onion in a large mixing bowl, add spices and salt and mix thoroughlly. Put about half of the vinegar in and gradually stir in the flour until it is possible to form 1 1/2 to 2" balls with the mixture. Use flour and remaining vinegar to adjust consistency.
3. Heat the oil in a suitable deep fryer or pan (careful to avoid overflow when placing food in the oil. Also have a large water-soaked towel nearby in case of spillage onto the burner). Heat to 350°F.
4. Form the onion/flour mixture into 1 1/2 to 2" balls and carefully place them in the oil using a metal spoon or suitable tool. Only fry enough at one time such that they don't stick to eachother. Fry to dark golden brown.
5. Remove cooked bhajis from oil and drain as with other fried foods. Serve on absorbent towel to soak up excess oil.

Reviews

[Gandalf The White]

Outstanding recipe, easy to make and better than any restaurant version I've had ... For those using the nutritional analysis, it is incorrect -- the software assumes that the entire 1 quart of vegetable oil is consumed in this recipe, hence the outrageous figures (2034 calories, 218 g fat per serving, etc.). In fact, the amount of oil used/consumed is more like 3 Tbsp, so the per serving figures should be about 100 calories/serving and 4 g total fat. Tastes great and you can feel good about eating it!!

[Chef #422388]

This was the first time I had ever made bhajis and these were wonderful! Even better than what we've had in restaurants. The vinegar and spices make a wonderful combination. I will be making these again!