Sunday 13 March 2011

Onion Bhaji

Obviously onion bhaji aren't a local French delicacy, but we grew lots of very nice onions last year and onion bhaji are a very simple tasty onion snack or side dish. They are also suitable for coeliacs, and with a coeliac brother-in-law and now my friend Elizabeth at Braye-sous-Faye, I'm always on the look out for recipes that are safe for people with the condition.

Onion bhaji mix.
Ingredients:
2 heaped tbsp gram (chickpea) flour
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into fine strips
Vegetable oil for deep frying
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garam masala
Pinch salt
1 green chilli, deseeded and sliced into fine slivers

Method:
  1. Put the flour, salt and spices into a bowl.
  2. Add cold water and mix until you have a thick paste.
  3. Add the onion strips and mix well into the paste.
  4. Add the chilli and mix well.
  5. Heat the oil to deep fry temperature.
  6. Drop small egg or large walnut sized spoonfuls into the hot oil.
  7. Allow them to cook until golden brown, a few minutes.
  8. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Onion bhaji draining on kitchen paper.
They can be eaten on their own, or with an Indian style chutney (e.g. mango or minted yoghurt). I like to serve them with barbecued chicken wings, and a spicy plum sauce. Ken and Walt have written a couple of times about cooking chicken wings that would work well served with onion bhaji.

Susan

7 comments:

GaynorB said...

I've eaten plenty in my time but never made any. Perhaps I should give your recipe a try?
In the UK they are so easy to buy, but I haven't ever noticed any in France (probably for obvious reasons). So making them is probably the only way!

wcs said...

What's your source for chick-pea flour? We found some once, but I've already forgotten where (Ken will probably remember).

These look good and I like your suggestion for serving them with wings!

Susan said...

Walt: Halles et Champs at Perrusson. I think I've seen it in the bio section at Intermarché too.

Carolyn said...

Well, I've been looking in all the wrong places then. Perrusson, here we come. I'll just line up those airline tickets and the car rental.

Ken Broadhurst said...

There's a new restaurant here in my N.C. home town that specializes in chicken wings. I haven't tried it yet but will report back when I have. Those bhajis look really good. And no, I don't remember where we got the chickpea flour. Paris Store?

Colin and Elizabeth said...

The bhajis look superb, Susan and with the added attraction of being Coeliac friendly I'll just have to make some when we gather in our onion harvest....... Or sooner!

Tim said...

!nother two recipe twists... Hansas [famous Gujerati restaurant] in Leeds used to do Banana Bhajis using the sliced fruit... and they didn't taste as if they were the green banananas either [but probably were!] Also the English wife of the Indian owner of an Oriental foods store I used to use, regularly published recipe sheets to promote products... on one occasion it was Apple Bhajis... same recipe as above but substitute grated cooking apple and also add a teaspoon of ground mixed spice... either with all the other ingredients... or without the cumin and masala. Both are excellent... the heavy spiced one as a starter with a mint yoghurt dip... or the ground spiced version by itself as a sweet with maple syrup or palm sugar made into a syrup [richer] and cream!

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