Onion bhaji is a popular Indian dish in the UK, made with spiced fried onions and flour. It can be served as an appetizer or snack with mango chutney or yogurt-based dip. Gram flour and spices like chili powder, coriander, cumin, and turmeric are commonly used. Large onions are peeled, cut into strips or rings, and mixed with the dough before being fried in hot oil. The dish is often served with raita or mango chutney.
Popular in the UK, onion bhaji is a spiced fried onion dish of Indian origin. Often served in Indian restaurants, onion bhaji combines spices, flour, and sliced onion to create a pancake-like appetizer or snack. This dish is often served with mango chutney or yogurt-based dip.
Usually gram flour also called gram flour is used in onion bhaji. Instead, you can use all-purpose flour. Spices such as chili powder, coriander, cumin and turmeric are also normally included. Other toppings, such as tikka masala paste, lemon or mango chutney, are also added to the dough in some versions. To moisten the onions, which is essential for the flour mixture to stick to the onions, beaten eggs or water are often used.
Large yellow or white onions are normally chosen when making onion bhaji. The onions are first peeled and then usually cut into strips or rings. Some versions coarsely chop the onion, leaving the strips mostly whole to vary the texture.
Onion bhaji is prepared much like pancakes. The ingredients are all combined to make a thick mixture, which is normally more doughy than doughy. The dry spices and flour can first be sieved together then combined with the rest of the ingredients or all, but the flour can be mixed together. Water, or flour and water if the flour hasn’t been added yet, is mixed into the mix to create the finished dough. Alternatively, the onion slices can be added to the beaten eggs, then the rest of the ingredients are blended in after the onions have been thoroughly coated.
For cooking, spoons of the mixture are dropped into hot vegetable oil and fried. Depending on the depth of the oil, the bhajis may need to be turned halfway through cooking. Once browned, they are removed from the oil and left to drain on a paper towel before serving. Onion bhaji is quick to make, with cooking times of just a few minutes per batch.
Eaten as an appetizer or snack, this dish is often served with a sauce or chutney. A yogurt-based dipping sauce, usually called raita, is often used. Raita can be pre-purchased, or you can easily make a homemade yogurt sauce. For example, the combination of plain yoghurt and mint gravy makes for a tasty compliment to onion bhaji. Also, although mango chutney can be included in the bhaji mix, it is more often served as a side dish.
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