Recipe from Palak Patel
Adapted by Christina Morales
Updated Nov. 7, 2023
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(71)
- Notes
- Read community notes
On Diwali, people in India light up their homes, say prayers and go door-to-door exchanging boxes of snacks and sweets. In the northern part of the country, some people fry fresh onion bhajiya, or crispy onion fritters, as an appetizer or snack for visiting guests. Palak Patel, the author of “The Chutney Life: 100 Easy-to-Make, Indian-Inspired Recipes” (Abrams, 2023), included her mother’s recipe in her cookbook, which represents Ms. Patel’s life as an Indian American. Her mother is from Raipur, where the street food is dipped in cilantro chutney, but her children and husband like to dip the fritters in ketchup. Depending on the region, bhajiya can also be called pakora or bhaji. They’re often eaten as a snack during monsoons and served with masala chai. —Christina Morales
Featured in: A Golden Treat for Diwali
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Ingredients
Yield:20 to 24 bhajiya (serves 4 to 6)
- Canola oil, for frying
- 2large sweet onions (about 12 ounces each), halved, then cut from top to bottom into ¼-inch-thick slices
- ½heaping cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 8Thai green chiles, finely chopped
- 1½cups/180 grams besan (chickpea flour)
- ¼cup/40 grams rice flour
- 2tablespoons whole coriander seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle or smashed with a rolling pin
- 2½teaspoons salt
- 2teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 2teaspoons red chile powder (such as cayenne)
- 2teaspoons whole cumin seeds
- 2teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼teaspoon hing (asafetida)
- ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
- Black salt, for sprinkling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
504 calories; 36 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 581 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Add enough canola oil to a medium pot to come 3 inches up the side. Heat over medium-high until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees.
Step
2
In a large bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients except for the black salt. Use your hands to massage the mixture for about 2 minutes. Next, add ¼ cup water, using your hands to mix in 1 tablespoon at a time until the batter is thick and sticky and there is no longer dry flour at the bottom of the bowl. (You may need a few more tablespoons of water.)
Step
3
Use your fingertips to gather some of the onion mixture into a small clump, then drop it carefully into the hot oil. If you’re nervous about frying, use one spoon to gather a small cluster of the onion mixture, then use a second spoon to release it into the oil. (You can test the temperature of the oil by dropping a bit of the onion mixture into the oil; if the mixture rises fairly quickly, the oil is ready.) Cook a few bhajiya at a time, avoiding crowding the pan. Use a spider or a slotted metal spatula to gently turn the bhajiya, cooking them about 2 minutes per side until golden-brown. (You might want to tear one open to make sure it’s not raw inside.)
Step
4
Transfer the cooked bhajiya onto a large paper towel-lined platter. Continue to cook the remaining bhajiya, reducing the heat as needed if the bhajiya are browning too fast before the onions cook through.
Step
5
Sprinkle with black salt and enjoy hot.
Ratings
4
out of 5
71
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Cooking Notes
T Jones
Canola is the oil of the rapeseed plant. Is it any wonder the name was changed? For what it’s worth, I know someone who farmed those plants in Canada (the “can” in “canola” iirc)
Enthusiast
Cut onions into crescent-shaped slices. The best way to do this is to cut once in the middle holding the onion upright with the "root" at the bottom, and then placing each half cut-side down, followed by slicing top-to-bottom to produce crescent-shaped slices. Easy! This is a basic technique for a lot of Indian recipes including pulav.
P
Absolutely! I air fry 6 minutes each side or till they are golden brown.
Seán V
I’ve made these for years and never used rice flour at all. Just use your gram flour /chickpea flour & they will be délicieux.NB: if you only have dried chickpeas in your larder, any good blender will turn them into flour - just blitz them cup at a time until the flour is fine enough.
Shivam S
A staple in Indian homes! A few additional tips - 1) No need for rice flour - stick with chickpea flour or add some cornstarch if you are really worried about crunchiness; 2) You can definitely use ground cumin or ground coriander instead of seeds (easier to find); 3) Dicing onions lets you “flatten” the pakoras some so you can pan fry instead of deep fry;4) You can easily add chopped spinach, peas, corn, or anything similar to the mix - great way to use the veggies you have on hand!
Judy
Made this as written and fried in peanut oil. Delicious! Just the right amount of spice. Make sure to not compress the onion mixture too much, you want it loose so it gets crispy. This is the best version of “pakoras” that I have ever made.
Mark Twain
Made these a few weeks ago. House still has that delightful smell of onions being fried.
Niko
My Indian mother-in-law makes these but she cuts the onion much smaller, and makes little crispy deep-fried balls that are perfect dipped into cilantro chutney. Whether it is traditional I can't comment on, but they are delicious and much more appetizing than the larger strips of onion called for in this recipe.
Ames
I only have glutinous rice flour -- any chance that will work? (I do have chickpea flour, though!)
Seán V
I’ve made these for years and never used rice flour at all. Just use your gram flour /chickpea flour & they will be délicieux.NB: if you only have dried chickpeas in your larder, any good blender will turn them into flour - just blitz them cup at a time until the flour is fine enough.
SS
Not a big fan of deep frying, can this be made in an air fryer or baked (drizzle oil while baking).
P
Absolutely! I air fry 6 minutes each side or till they are golden brown.
Huguenotish
I absolutely eschew the unworthy “canola” oil. It’s unhealthy, viz., inflammatory, untasty, undelightful; & whoever has heard of a canola plant? Canola is a corporate acronym. I adore fried onions, & if you get the oil/ghee/cooking method right, you will be transported to nirvana with onion bhaji. Delights await!
T Jones
Canola is the oil of the rapeseed plant. Is it any wonder the name was changed? For what it’s worth, I know someone who farmed those plants in Canada (the “can” in “canola” iirc)
Enthusiast
Cut onions into crescent-shaped slices. The best way to do this is to cut once in the middle holding the onion upright with the "root" at the bottom, and then placing each half cut-side down, followed by slicing top-to-bottom to produce crescent-shaped slices. Easy! This is a basic technique for a lot of Indian recipes including pulav.
Margarita
Curious: vertical is best IMOThen cut sections . Like an orange
Curious
Are the sweet onions to be halved vertically or horizontally?
GB
I use a mix of red and yellow onions. To slice the onions, Enthusiast has described it accurately.
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