Shatteringly Crisp Onion Bhajis

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Craggy, lacy fritters of thinly sliced onion bound with just enough spiced gram flour to hold them together. The onions release their own water, so the batter stays thin and the edges fry into shards. Twenty minutes of work at the stove and you have a plate of hot bhajis that beat any takeaway starter — eat them straight from the draining rack with a squeeze of lemon or a spoon of yogurt.

Ingredients

• 3 large onions, halved and very thinly sliced
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 green chile, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• 3 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2-4 tbsp cold water, as needed
• 6 cups neutral oil, for deep-frying

Instructions

1. Put the sliced onions in a large bowl, scatter over the 1 tsp salt and rub it through with your fingers. Leave for 10 minutes — the onions will soften and release a surprising amount of liquid, which does most of the work of wetting the batter.
2. Add the ginger, green chile and cilantro to the onions. Sprinkle the gram flour, rice flour, cumin, chili powder and turmeric over the top and toss with your hands until every strand is coated in a thick, clinging paste. Add cold water only 1 tablespoon at a time — you want a stiff mixture that just holds together when squeezed, not a pourable batter. Let it sit while the oil heats.
3. Pour the oil into a deep heavy pot or Dutch oven to a depth of about 2 inches, filling the pot no more than halfway. Heat over medium until it reaches 350°F (175°C) on a thermometer. SAFETY: never leave hot oil unattended, keep water and wet utensils well away from the pot, have a lid nearby to smother a flare-up, and lower food in gently rather than dropping it.
4. Test the oil with a small pinch of mixture: it should sizzle steadily and rise to the surface within a few seconds. If it browns instantly the oil is too hot; if it sinks and sits, wait another minute.
5. Scoop loose, craggy tablespoon-sized clumps of the mixture and slide them into the oil, 5 or 6 at a time — don't pack them into neat balls, the ragged edges are the best part. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once or twice, until deep golden brown and firm.
6. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet (not paper towels, which steam the bottoms). Let the oil climb back to 350°F (175°C) before the next batch — it will have dropped 20 to 30 degrees.
7. Sprinkle the hot bhajis with a little extra salt and serve immediately, with lemon wedges or plain yogurt for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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