Onion Bhaji w. Coriander Lime Butter
Cook Time: ~15 Minutes
Who doesn’t love the satisfying crunch of a crispy onion bhaji? This dish is deceptively simple and quick to prepare and tastes 10x better when made at home. The salted coriander lime butter makes for a perfect accompaniment, to be smeared across each delicious bite of bhaji.
Serves: 2
Prep: ~5 minutes
Cook: ~10 minutes
Ingredients
2x large white onion
Groundnut or vegetable oil (~500ml to 1L)
Chickpea flour (~8 tbsp)
A dash of sparkling water
Turmeric (~2 tsp)
Chilli powder (~2 tsp)
Garlic granules (~2 tsp)
Black mustard seeds (~3 tsp)
Amchur (~1/2 tsp)
6x green chilli
Salt
The coriander lime butter
Butter ~200g
4x green chilli
1x Lime
Coriander ~30g
Salt
Notes
Butter Quantity: I typically make a whole block of butter as I keep it in the fridge and use it for other recipes. You are welcome to size down the ingredients to make a smaller batch.
Oil: Use common sense for the quantity; it will depend on the size of your pot or pan. You should have enough oil to almost submerge the entire bhaji, with a little left exposed to the air.
Amchur: This powder is a fruity spice made from dried unripe green mangoes and gives a recipe a hint of citrus and acidity. If you can’t find it, you may use citric acid powder or sumac.
Equipment
Food processor
Large mixing bowl
Medium pan or pot for shallow frying
Perforated ladle
Mise En Place
Cut the stalks from the green chilli and add them to a food processor alongside the butter and coriander. Add the juice and zest of one lime. Add a generous lashing of kosher salt. Blitz until smooth, and leave in the fridge to harden slightly.
For the bhajis, remove the stems from your remaining green chilli, slice lengthways into thirds, and add to a large mixing bowl. Peel and slice your onions, cut into halves, and slice thinly. Season with salt and mix.
Now throw in your black mustard seeds, turmeric, amchur, chilli powder, garlic granules and chickpea flour.
Add a splash of sparkling water and mix until a thick paste is formed. It should feel almost glue-like. A good test is to form a mixture in your hand, turn it upside down and if it sticks without falling, you’re good. If the mix is not sticky enough, add an extra tablespoon of chickpea flower.
Once satisfied, form your onion mix into 6-9 flat bhaji shapes.
The Cook
Bring a pot of oil to a high heat. To test if it’s hot enough, throw in a small piece of battered onion; it should start sizzling on impact.
Once hot, take a perforated ladle and slowly drop in your onion bhajis. The oil should just about cover them. The goal is to cook them until they turn golden brown and crisp. This should take ~10 minutes, or ~5 minutes on each side. Once cooked, carefully remove the bhajis from the oil and rest on a paper towel or dripping tray to remove the excess oil.
To serve, sprinkle kosher salt and lime zest over the bhajis, and add a side of coriander lime butter for dipping.
If you attempt this dish, let me know how it goes, and if you variate the recipe in any way. This newsletter relies upon word of mouth, so if you know someone who would enjoy this publication please share it.
Thanks for reading,
Conor