The first time I passed through London—long before I started cooking—I figured out that some of the best food was to be found in the ubiquitous Indian restaurants. Fortunately for my traveler’s budget, it was also the cheapest! One of my favorite discoveries was an onion bhaji, a cluster of fried onion slices bound with a spicy, aromatic batter. The flavors stayed in my memory for a long time, and after much research, I came up with this recipe. The batter is made from high-protein chickpea flour (also called besan or gram flour at Indian markets), which gives it a rich flavor. At Bayona we serve bhajis with seared scallops and carrot-cardamom sauce, but they are awfully good by themselves for snacking, with a drizzle of cilantro-spiked yogurt or your favorite chutney.
To achieve crisp, golden results when frying, it’s important to heat the oil to 350°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the temperature by dropping in a cube of bread. If the oil is hot enough, it should brown the bread in about 15 seconds.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat 2 inches of oil in a wide skillet to 350°F.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, ginger, garlic, and the spices. Stir in the yogurt. Add just enough water to make a batter the consistency of thickened cream.
Step 3
In another bowl, mix the onion and carrots, then stir in enough batter to just barely coat the vegetables. (Test one or two to ensure you have the perfect amount of batter to hold them together.) Drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet, and cook for 2–3 minutes, turning once. Use tongs to give them a gentle squeeze, which helps hold the bhajis together. Cook for another 3–4 minutes, until golden. Remove the bhajis from the oil and drain on paper towels. Salt lightly.
