Shatter-Crisp Onion Bhaji with Cumin and Green Chile

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Thin-sliced onions salted until they weep, then bound with just enough besan and rice flour to fry into lacy, deep-golden fritters. The whole thing happens in one pot of 350°F oil in about twenty minutes — no batter to whisk, no equipment beyond a heavy pan and a thermometer. Serve hot with lemon wedges and whatever chutney or ketchup is in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, halved and sliced paper-thin
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 green chile, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or mild paprika
• 3/4 cup besan (chickpea flour)
• 3 tbsp rice flour
• 2 tbsp cold water, as needed

• 6 cups neutral oil for deep-frying (sunflower or canola)
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Toss the sliced onions with the salt in a large bowl and leave them for 10 minutes, squeezing a few times with your hands. They will soften and release a surprising amount of liquid — do not drain it, that water is your batter.
2. Add the ginger, green chile, cilantro, cumin seeds, turmeric and chili powder and mix. Sprinkle over the besan and rice flour and toss with your fingers until every strand is coated in a thick, clinging paste. Only if it still looks dry and floury, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time (up to 2 tablespoons) — the mix should hold together when squeezed, not pour.
3. Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot so it comes no more than one-third up the sides, and heat over medium to 350°F (175°C) on a thermometer. Safety: never fill the pot more than a third full, keep the handle turned in, keep water and wet hands away from the oil, and set a lid nearby to smother flames. Never move a hot pot, and never pour water on an oil fire.
4. Test with a teaspoon of the mixture: it should sizzle steadily and rise within 3 seconds. Drop in loose tablespoon-sized clumps, 5 or 6 at a time, and nudge them apart. Do not pack them into tight balls — the raggedy edges are what turn crisp.
5. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once or twice, until deep golden brown and no longer bubbling hard. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a wire rack set over a tray (paper towels will steam them soft).
6. Let the oil climb back to 350°F (175°C) between batches — it drops 20 to 30 degrees each time — and fry the rest. For extra shattering crunch, return all the bhaji to the oil for a final 45 seconds once the last batch is done.
7. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt while still glistening and serve hot with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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