This Diwali get ready to tantalize your taste buds with this delectable Indian snack! These are my Onion Potato Bhaji, a crunchy delightful dish that’s a standard Indian evening or festive snack. This crispy and flavorful delicacy combines the earthy goodness of potatoes with the aromatic zing of onions, spiced to perfection. Whether you are looking for the best bhajis out there or seeking a unique appetizer, Onion Potato Bhaji is sure to satisfy your cravings. Let’s dive into the recipe and discover the secrets behind its irresistible taste!
Tips to make the perfect Bhajis
- Preparation is Key: Before you start, make sure you have all your ingredients measured and chopped. This will help you maintain a smooth cooking process.
- Salt the Onions: After finely chopping the onions, sprinkle them with a little salt and let them sit for about 10-15 minutes. This draws out excess moisture, which helps prevent the bhajis from becoming soggy.
- Soak the Potatoes: Once you’ve peeled and sliced the potatoes, soak them in a bowl of cold water for about 10-15 minutes. This helps remove excess starch, resulting in a crispier texture.
- Balanced Spice Blend: Adjust the spice levels to your preference, but ensure you have a balanced blend of spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder for a well-rounded flavor.
- Correct Consistency of Batter: The batter should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but not so thick that it’s clumpy. If it’s too thick, add a little water; if it’s too thin, add a bit more besan (gram flour).
- Hot Oil for Frying: Heat the oil to the right temperature (around 350-375°F or 175-190°C). If it’s too cold, the bhajis will absorb excess oil; if it’s too hot, they’ll brown too quickly on the outside while remaining raw inside.
- Test with a Small Batch: Before you start frying the entire batch, test one bhaji to make sure the oil is at the right temperature and the seasoning is to your liking.
- Fry in Batches: Don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry the bhajis in small batches to ensure they cook evenly and maintain their crispy texture.
- Drain Excess Oil: After frying, place the bhajis on a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil. This step ensures they remain crisp and not overly greasy.
- Serve Immediately: Onion Potato Bhajis are best enjoyed fresh and hot. Serve them immediately with chutney, yogurt, or your favorite dipping sauce.
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating perfectly crispy and flavorful Onion Potato Bhajis!
How to store Onion Potato Bhaji:
While Onion Potato Bhajis are best enjoyed fresh and hot, you can store any leftovers properly to enjoy later. Here are some storage instructions:
- Cool Completely: Allow the bhajis to cool completely at room temperature. Do not cover them while they are still warm, as this can lead to condensation and make them soggy.
- Refrigeration:
- If you plan to consume them within the next 1-2 days, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Place a piece of parchment paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together.
- Freezing (Optional):
- For longer-term storage (up to 1 month), you can freeze the bhajis.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or resealable bag with parchment paper between the layers.
- Reheating:
- To reheat refrigerated bhajis, you can use an oven or a toaster oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C) and heat for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
- If reheating from frozen, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat as instructed above.
- Maintain Crispy Texture (Optional):
- For best results, you can briefly re-crisp the bhajis in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for a few minutes after reheating.
- Serve with Fresh Accompaniments:
- When serving reheated bhajis, consider pairing them with fresh chutneys, yogurt, or sauces to enhance their flavor.
Remember, while reheated bhajis may not be as crispy as freshly cooked ones, they can still be quite tasty. Always label the storage container with the date to keep track of their freshness.
Other snacks from the blog:
- Tandoori soya chaap skewers
- Spicy Kohlrabi fritters
- Vada Pav
- Smashed Potato Papdi Chaat
- Vegan Dahi Vada
- Crispy Plaintain Chips
- Baked Aloo TIkki
Best Onion Potato Bhajis – Aloo Pyaz Pakora
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups red onions thinly sliced
- 1 ½ cups potatoes grated
- 2 green chilies chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp red chili pepper powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground coriander seeds
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup Chickpea flour or besan
- 2-3 tbsp rice flour
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Sprinkle a tsp of salt over the onion slices massage it in really well and let it rest for 15 minutes. This helps draw out the moisture.
- Soak the grated potatoes in cold water to remove excess starch as well.
- After 15 minutes, drain the liquid, squeeze out the liquid from the potato as much as possible, and add it to the drained onions.
- You can choose to keep the onions this way to rinse off the salt btw. Depends on how much salt you want in the bhajis.
- Now add the rest of the ingredients except oil and mix it well with your hands.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and test with a bit of the batter to see if it’s ready. If it rises immediately up with bubbles then it’s ready.
- Take rough amounts of the bhaji mix, they don’t have to be uniform or shaped any particular way, and drop them carefully in the oil.
- Let them fry for a good 5-7 minutes until they are golden brown. You can do a double fry if you like at the end to make sure they are even crispier.
- Carefully take them out of the oil with a slotted spoon and let them drain on kitchen paper towels.
- Serve hot with mint cilantro chutney and enjoy!
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