How to Make Onion Bhajis

Cooking Indian food is a joy to do - it is my most favorite ethnic food with complex flavors, varies incredibly, and most importantly, with a little attention to detail, is easy to do. Often it is vegetarian and this particular recipe is my own after many trials to find the right balance between spicy and mild. My wife prefers a mild spiciness, and this onion bhaji recipe will make just that. You will end up with light, fluffy mildly spiced onion bhajis that are a pleasure to eat. This recipe takes two parts, and the onions must be cooked twice. This recipe serves 2.

You will need:

Equipment:

• A skillet
• A heavy deep saucepan
• A wooden spoon
• A sharp knife
• A cutting board
• A long-handled slotted spoon

Ingredients:

• 3 medium onions
• 2 tablespoons of cumin powder
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 1 stick of butter
• ¼ cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon English mustard powder
• Vegetable oil
• 1 bottle of wine (one of these days I will add some to the food)

For the Raita:

Food processor

• ½ cucumber
• 1 pot of yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• a handful of fresh mint

First, make the raita. To do that, just add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and turn on to high for about 30 seconds. Place in a bowl and put in the fridge until needed. Pour wine, sip and move on to the onion bhajis.

First of all, slice the onions thinly. Next, place the butter in a heavy skillet and melt on a medium heat. Fry the onions until they are just staring to turn brown and beginning to caramelize. Add the cumin and flour and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes. Next, take the skillet off the heat and slowly add the milk, stirring all the time. Put the skillet back over the heat and cook some more, letting the sauce/batter thicken. At this stage it will not look very appetizing, but don’t worry, it will in the end.

Pour the batter into a bowl and leave to cool. Sip wine. Pour about 3 inches of oil into a heavy, high-sided saucepan, and place over a high heat. When the batter is cool enough to handle, form it into balls about 2 inches across. When the oil is hot, carefully drop the balls of batter into the oil. Try not to splash as it hurts. The balls of batter should float on the surface and just need to be cooked for a minute or so. When they are dark brown, use the slotted spoon to remove them and place them on a paper towel to drain. They should not hold much oil. When they are all ready, serve warm. These I served with salad, raita and vegetable samosas.

Bon Apetit!