Onion and potato bhajis

The secret to a light, crunchy, golden bhaji lies in the batter – and paying attention while you fry!

Parveen's onion and potato bhaji Credit: Parveen's Indian Kitchen

• makes

  25

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 g chickpea (besan / gram) flour
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 tsp pomegranate seed powder
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 handfuls baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 L vegetable oil, approximately, for frying

Green chilli and mint dip

• 2 long green chillies, chopped
• small handful mint leaves
• small handful coriander leaves
• ½ small clove garlic, grated
• 120 ml natural yoghurt
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl, then add the  ground coriander, chilli powder, cumin, dried fenugreek leaves, and pomegranate seed powder. Add 225ml water and mix with a wooden spoon to make a batter. The consistency should be similar to cake batter. Add a pinch of salt to taste.

2. Add the onion, potato and spinach to the batter and mix well, ensuring all are covered, Add a squeeze of lemon juice and leave for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile make the green chilli dip by putting all the ingredients into a small food processor. Blend until smooth, transfer to a serving dish and keep in the fridge until needed.

4. Heat the oil in a wok or deep fry pan to 180°C. Drop a level tablespoon of batter into the oil and fry. You can probably cook 5-6 at a time, depending on size of the pan.

5. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, turning a few times, until all sides are golden brown. Continue until all mixture is used. Serve with dip.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.