Name: Crispy onion bhajis
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 4 Red onions, thinly sliced; 1 tsp Ground turmeric; ½ tsp Chilli powder; 1 Green chilli, finely chopped; ½ tsp Ground cumin; 1 tsp Ground coriander; Small handful fresh coriander, chopped, chopped; Juice of ½ lemon; 1 tsp Salt; ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda; 50 g Gram flour; Vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep frying, for deep frying

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The recipe

Crispy onion bhajis

These crispy onion bhajis are light, crunchy, and packed with flavour.

Serves 10
20 min prep
4 min cooking
16 min hands-off
Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale

10 servings

Measurements

Method

Step 1
Place the sliced onions (4 onions) into a large mixing bowl and use your hands to separate the layers. This helps create light, crispy bhajis.
Step 2
Add the turmeric (1 tsp), chilli powder (½ tsp), green chilli (1 chilli), cumin (½ tsp), coriander (1 tsp), fresh coriander, lemon juice and salt (1 tsp). Mix well until the onions (4 onions) are evenly coated.
Step 3
Leave the mixture to stand for 15 minutes. The salt (1 tsp) and lemon juice will draw moisture from the onions (4 onions), helping to create the batter.
Step 4
Sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda (½ tsp) and gradually add the gram flour (50 g), mixing well after each addition. Continue adding flour until the onions (4 onions) are lightly coated and just begin to hold together when squeezed. The mixture should feel sticky rather than dry.
Step 5
Heat the oil in a deep saucepan or fryer to 170-180°C.
Step 6
Using your hands, loosely squeeze small handfuls of the mixture together and carefully lower them into the hot oil. Avoid packing them too tightly, as rough edges become wonderfully crisp when fried.
Step 7
Cook in batches for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown and crisp.
Step 8
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Step 9
Season immediately with a pinch of flaky sea salt (1 tsp) and serve warm.

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Questions people ask

How long does crispy onion bhajis take?

About 40 min from start to finish: 20 min of prep, 4 min of cooking, and 16 min hands-off while it waits. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 10. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Is it vegan?

Yes, as written. Check the labels on anything shop-bought, which is where animal products tend to hide.

Crispy onion bhajis

Crispy onion bhajis