Spicy onion bhajis recipe

These spicy onion bhajis are so much easier than you'd think to make and well worth it. 

They make a brilliant starter or snack, or a side dish to go with a homemade curry. Plus they make a home cooked meal feel as exciting as a takeaway. If you've never tried making your own before, don't worry it's easy. Just make sure your oil is hot enough to cook the bhajis quickly so you get a good texture. You will need some Indian chick pea flour (often called gram flour) - it's widely available in larger supermarkets but if your local one doesn't have it, try and Asian grocer. If you can't find it, cornflour works well too. Serve them with some shredded cucumber tossed in yoghurt, or some mint raita for dipping.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• 2 large onions, peeled
• 1 green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1tsp garam masala
• A small handful of fresh chopped coriander
• 125g gram flour
• Chutneys and salad to serve

Method

1. Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full with vegetable oil. Heat gently until the oil is hot. To test if the oil is ready add a cube of bread and it should sizzle and brown within 1 minute.
2. Whilst the oil is heating, on a chopping cut the onions in half through the root end then place each half, flat-side down on the board. Cut into medium-thick slices. Place in a bowl and sprinkle over remaining ingredients. Season well with salt and use your hands to toss the ingredients together to combine. The onions should be well coated in the flour and spices. Drizzle over a few drops of water and mix again.
3. When the oil is ready wet your hands and take out small handfuls of the onion mixture from the bowl. Place straight into the hot oil and fry in batches, turning over for 1 min or until crisp and golden. 
4. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper and keep warm on a baking tray in a low oven whilst cooking remaining bhajis. Serve with chutneys and salad.

Top tip for making spicy onion bhajis

Experiment with different spices. Try adding ground cumin or coriander or add some mustard, fennel or onion seeds.

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