Name: Onion Bhaji Recipe (Better than Restaurant)
Ingredients: 200 grams (2 cups, 1 medium) onion sliced (yellow/brown or red, read notes); 1 green chili (fine chopped, optional, omit for low heat); 1 tablespoon ginger (minced/grated or use 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste); 1 tablespoon garlic (minced/grated, omit if using gg paste); ¼ cup coriander leaves (fine chopped); ¾ cup (85 grams) besan (gram flour); ⅓ cup (45 grams) rice flour (or use ¼ cup corn starch); ½ to ¾ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste); ⅛ teaspoon baking soda (optional); ½ teaspoon red chili powder or flakes (use Kashmiri for low heat or high heat chili for high heat or double); 1 teaspoon coriander powder (or ½ tablespoon coarsely crushed seeds if you prefer); ½ teaspoon carom seeds / ajwain/ fennel seeds (lightly crushed coarsely or both, omit if you don’t have); ¾ teaspoon garam masala (or substitute with cumin powder or chaat masala); 1 to 3 tablespoons water (use only as required); high smoke point oil to deep fry – about 1½ cups (I use steam refined coconut oil)

Ingredients

200 grams (2 cups, 1 medium) onion sliced (yellow/brown or red, read notes)
1 green chili (fine chopped, optional, omit for low heat)
1 tablespoon ginger (minced/grated or use 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste)
1 tablespoon garlic (minced/grated, omit if using gg paste)
¼ cup coriander leaves (fine chopped)
¾ cup (85 grams) besan (gram flour)
⅓ cup (45 grams) rice flour (or use ¼ cup corn starch)
½ to ¾ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
⅛ teaspoon baking soda (optional)
½ teaspoon red chili powder or flakes (use Kashmiri for low heat or high heat chili for high heat or double)
1 teaspoon coriander powder (or ½ tablespoon coarsely crushed seeds if you prefer)
½ teaspoon carom seeds / ajwain/ fennel seeds (lightly crushed coarsely or both, omit if you don’t have)
¾ teaspoon garam masala (or substitute with cumin powder or chaat masala)
1 to 3 tablespoons water (use only as required)
high smoke point oil to deep fry – about 1½ cups (I use steam refined coconut oil)

Steps

Preparation

Slice onions thinly and evenly, then put in a large mixing bowl. Mix with salt, gently squeezing out their juices. Leave for a minimum of 15 to 20 mins while preparing the rest.
Heat deep-frying oil in a deep pan over a medium flame.
Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients except water well by hand into a thick batter. If dry and crumbly, sprinkle in 1 tablespoon water and mix.
One preparation used 2 tablespoons in total; more or less may be needed according to the onions' freshness or kind.

How to make Onion Bhaji

Test the oil with a small portion of batter. It should sizzle and rise to the surface without browning. If it sinks and does not rise, the oil is not hot enough.
Take ¾ tablespoon batter portions on your fingers and slide into the hot oil without shaping. Alternatively, use a pair of spoons, one to lift the batter and the other to slide it into the oil.
Do not overcrowd or touch them for 2 to 3 mins, as they can disintegrate.
Fry over medium heat for 3 mins, stirring occasionally until crisp and light golden. Move to a cooling rack or steel colander and fry the remaining batter in batches. One preparation was fried in 3 batches.
For extra crispness, refry for 1 to 2 mins if you like.
Serve the onion bhajis hot and immediately; they begin losing their crispness as they sit.