Onion bhaji

Onion bhaji is a delightful and immensely popular Indian snack that is loved by people of all ages and nationalities in every corner of the world! Onion bhajis are delicious little deep-fried, crispy onion fritters infused with Indian spices. Most people have eaten onion bhaji in Indian restaurants and as takeaway street food, but not everyone knows how to make them at home. Here, you’ll learn all the tips and secrets to making onion bhaji in your own kitchen at home. Delicious, golden and crispy – just like the ones that you would eat in the best Indian restaurants!

What is an onion bhaji?

Onion bhaji or kanda bhaji, where kanda means onion and bhaji means fritter, is a popular Indian finger food originating from the Indian subcontinent. Bhajis are made from sliced onions that are mixed with a batter of chickpea (gram flour), spices, and sometimes herbs, and then deep-fried until golden brown. The result is a crispy and flavourful appetiser, that can also be served as an accompaniment to other Indian dishes, or as a snack on its own.

Is onion bhaji vegan?

Yes! Onion bhajis are naturally and gloriously vegan!

Onion Bhaji vs Pakora

Bhaji and pakora are technically the same thing – the name changes according to the region where it is made. In the south of India, it’s known as a bhaji; in the north, it is called pakora. Just like all national recipes, there are many variations. Both bhajis and pakoras are onion fritters and are identical in the fact that they are both made with onions and a chickpea batter. The difference lies in the spices and herbs used in the batter, which can vary from one region to another.

What is onion bhaji batter made of?

Onion bhaji batter is made of chickpea (gram) flour, water, spices and salt. In this particular recipe, there’s a small percentage of rice flour which makes them crispier. The spices I use are turmeric, ground coriander seeds, ground cumin seeds, and chili pepper. There are other spices and herbs that you can add instead. Further down, I’ll give you a list of those so that you can try the different variations and pick your favourite spices to add!

My love story with Indian food

My love for onion bhaji started very early on in life. For those of you who don’t know, Indian food is immensely popular with British people and there are Indian restaurants and takeaways on virtually every main street. Britain has even been dubbed the curry nation because of its longtime love affair with Indian food! As kids growing up in England, we had Indian neighbours, Indian classmates, and readily-available, mouthwatering Indian food. And onion bhajis, of course! Once you get past the initial spiciness, Indian food just grows and grows on you – I’d go so far as to say it’s delightfully addictive!

I started making my own Indian curries back in the 80s. The recipe I’m sharing with you today is based on a video I saw on the Internet a long time ago. I don’t remember who posted it to give them credit and I guess my version has deviated from it over the years.

How to make onion bhaji

Making onion bhaji is a simple process, where you mix sliced onions with chickpea flour, rice flour, spices, water and salt to form a thick batter. Then, you spoon the mixture into hot oil and deep-fry them until they are golden brown. The resulting bhajis are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with a savoury and slightly spicy flavour.

You’ll find step-by-step instructions with photos in the recipe card below.

Ingredients

• Onions – I prefer yellow onions for this recipe. I’m a great fan of onions and yellow ones have a more distinctive flavour. You could use red onions if you prefer a milder, sweeter taste. As a general rule, I use red onions for dishes that call raw onion – that way, the flavour doesn’t overwhelm the dish – and yellow onions for cooking.
• Chickpea (gram) flour, also known as besan. Besan is the Hindi word for flour made from chana dal, black chickpea, or Kala chana. You can easily find this at an Indian grocery store.
• Rice flour – Adding 25 g of rice flour to every 100 g of chickpea flour gives the crispiest bhaji.
• Spices – No Indian dish is complete without spices. The only spices you need for onion bhaji are red chili powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin seeds, ground coriander seeds and salt.
• water – add it gradually until you achieve the right consistency.
• oil – you can use any vegetable oil with a high smoking point for frying bhaji. I use sunflower oil.

Alternative herbs and spices

There are many variations of onion bhaji, with people adding different spices and herbs to the batter to suit their taste. Some popular variations include:

• Carom seeds (ajwain)
• Fresh ginger
• Garlic
• Curry leaves
• Chaat Masala
• Asafoetida (hing)
• Garam masala
• Chopped fresh coriander or mint leaves
• Chopped green chili pepper

Tips

• I slice my onions by hand because I prefer the irregular, more rustic look. But you can slice them on a mandolin if you want. I slice mine from top to bottom with a knife so I get segment-shaped slices.
• The amount of water required may vary depending on the type of chickpea flour you use. Don’t add all the water at once – that way, you can easily regulate the consistency of the batter.
• The salt in the batter will bring out the water in the onions due to the process of osmosis. Some people leave the onions to stand deliberately, but that same process will also make the onions limp and thin the batter. I recommend frying the bhajis soon after mixing the batter to ensure they are crispy.
• Use a fryer or a pan with high sides.
• You can use any kind of oil that is suitable for frying, i.e. oils with a high smoke point. I don’t fry foods very often because it’s not healthy, but when I do, I use sunflower seed oil. Avocado oil is also good but it’s more expensive.
• The easiest and safest way to check whether the oil is hot enough is to stick the end of a wooden spoon into the oil. If you see a lot of bubbles form around the wood and they start to float up, your oil is ready for frying. If it is bubbling hard, the oil is too hot – let it cool a bit and check the temperature again. No bubbles dispersing around the spoon? Then it’s not hot enough. Try it again after a minute or so and keep testing until you get bubbles.
• It’s best to fry the bhaji in batches in a single layer. Don’t overcrowd the pan.

How to make onion bhaji batter

• There’s no need to make the batter separately. In fact, it’s actually better not to. Just put the sliced onion and all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add the water gradually until you get a thick smooth batter. You should be able to form a ball of batter without it falling apart.

How to fry onion bhaji

• Scoop up some of the onion bhaji mixture, compact it between two tablespoons and lower it into the hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, turning the bhajis occasionally for even cooking.
• Once the bhajis are golden brown and crispy, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on absorbent kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil.
• Repeat the process with the remaining mixture until you have fried all of the onion bhajis.

What to serve with onion bhaji

Onion bhaji is best served hot and is usually accompanied by mint chutney, cucumber & mint raita or tamarind sauce, all of which complement the spicy flavours of the bhaji. It is a popular snack in India during festivals and special occasions and is often served as an appetizer or a side dish with a meal. In the western part of India, onion bhaji is a common starter that signals the beginning of a delicious meal. During the rainy season in India, bhajis are often eaten in the evening with a cup of chai or tea.

I like to serve onion bhaji as part of an Indian meal, usually as a starter. Our favourite accompaniment is cucumber & mint raita which complements the onion bhaji perfectly! Raita is a deliciously refreshing yoghurt dip with cool grated cucumber and chopped mint – a perfect contrast to the hot, spicy onion bhaji!

How to store leftover onion bhaji

Obviously, onion bhajis are best eaten hot and I seriously doubt you’ll have any leftovers! But then again, not everyone is as greedy as me, haha! You can store leftover bhajis in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will keep for a couple of days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing onion bhajis, although some people do.

How to reheat them

First, if you’ve got time, bring them back to room temperature. Then, put them in a preheated oven (220 °C) for 5 minutes or until they turn crispy again.

I really hope you enjoy this vegan onion bhaji recipe! If you do, would you consider giving it a star rating? If you could also leave a comment, that would be fantastic – your feedback is valuable to me and it also helps others to find my blog and recipes. I’d really appreciate it and it’s the best way to show your support!

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