Introduction
Onion bhajis are an Indian savoury snack which are often known to us as a starter dish when you go to your favourite Indian restaurant, for me it’s one of my favourite snacks growing up. We serve these with tea alongside many other snacks such as samosas and sweet delights like jalebis (swirls of crispy fried batter dipped in syrup) and gulab jamuns (milk powder and dipped in rose infused syrup).
I have always known the bhaji to be known as the ‘Piyaza’ which means onion fritters in Bengali. Very simple to make and can be dipped into any sauce of your choice.
The onion bhaji or fritter has its origins from the Southern Indian state of Karnataka. The bhaji is traditionally deep fried and made with 2 key ingredients, onions and chickpea flour (besan/gram flour). But this bhaji is quite well known across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The ingredients and flavours added to the core onions and chickpea flour can create delights that can take the bhaji into making it into your own creation.
So for RTD here is my own creation that you can try at home. I used all the red onions to give the bhajis a sweet hint to the savoury snack. You will notice I have added some other optional red themed veg and spices too… 😉
I have also added a recipe for a home-made raita with an RTD signature for you to make as an accompaniment.
Ingredients & Preparation for the Onion Bhajis
Utensils:
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Large bowls – 2 – one for the prepped veg and the other to make the batter
- Wok, large deep pan or deep fryer (not air fryer)
- Slotted spoon
- Kitchen paper
- Serving dish
Preparing the veg:
- Red onions – 4 large or 6 medium sized – peeled and finely sliced with the strands separated into a large bowl.
- Red (sweet or bell) peppers – 1 – de-seeded and thinly sliced
- Optional – Red fresh chillies (or dried chilli flakes – 1 tsp) – 1-2 – de-seeded and chopped (recommend using gloves as the oils from the skin are where the heat is)
- Coriander – fresh or dried – 1 tbsp – if fresh finely chop including the stalks
To make the batter:
- Chickpea flour (known as besan/gram flour) – 6 heaped tbsps. (you can add more if the batter is too thin) – most supermarkets will have this in their world food section – its gluten free too!
- Spices
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Black pepper – ½ tsp
- Turmeric – 1 tsp
- Paprika – 1 tsp
- Cumin (ground) – ½ tsp
- Mustard – 1 tsp (either English, Dijon or whole grain any brand will work)
- Bicarbonate of soda – ½ tsp
- Eggs – 3 large or 4 medium – beaten in a bowl (if you are vegan then you can use just water instead)
- Water – to thin the batter if required
Ingredients & Preparation for the Raita
This is a tasty accompaniment to the bhajis and a great dip for any savoury snack too. (Try dipping in samosas, naan bread, chicken tikka or parathas 😉)
Utensils
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Medium size bowl
- Tablespoon to stir
Ingredients
- Greek yoghurt – 500g tub – (Non-dairy alternatives will work too)
- Sundried tomatoes – 1 tbsp roughly chopped (if in oil, remove excess with kitchen paper)
- Cherry tomatoes – 8-10 cut in quarters
- Cumin (ground) – a small pinch
- Salt and black pepper – small pinches
- Smoked paprika to sprinkle
- Sesame oil – to drizzle
RTD Red Berry ‘Shrikand’ Recipe
This creamy dessert made with saffron, and yoghurt of your choice is known as ‘Shrikand’ and a must in many a South Asian household. I have adapted it to include red berries to complete our RTD themed evening… takes about 15 mins to make…
Utensils
- A sieve (to strain excess water from the yoghurt)
- Kitchen paper – a few sheets
- Medium size bowl
- Tablespoon to stir
- Small dessert bowls (or glasses) for serving
- Small knife (optional)
- Mortar and pestle (optional – for the nuts to be crushed but could use a mallet)
Ingredients
- Greek yoghurt – 700g tub (smaller tub if less than 6 people) – (Non-dairy alternatives will work too)
- Saffron strands – 8-10 strands – soaked in 1 tsp of milk
- Ground cardamom powder (1 tsp) – should find in any supermarket.
- 100g demerara sugar or brown caster sugar
- 100g of either strawberries and/or raspberries
- Optional: crushed pistachios, cashews or almonds – 2-3 tbsps.
NOTE: Different Makes of Gram/Besan/Chickpea Flours
You will only need a small 500g packet – but the flour has a good shelf life if you buy a larger packet.
Most supermarkets will have these and if you have access to your local Indian cash and carry even better 😊.
