Tuesday 11 December 2007

Onion Bhaji Recipe



Here is Chefs - How to make the perfect onion bhaji recipe ... and do not just take my word for it...why not read this independent >
onion bhaji review

Not only are Chefs onion bhaji's healthy, cooked in the oven and eggless, but they are the most DELICIOUS ONION BHAJI'S EVER guaranteed!

Chef cooks this onion bhaji recipe almost daily because the taste is that good.

Chef likes to be modest but I have to tell you that these are the best onion bhaji's you will ever taste.

The spice measurements are perfect in quantity and blend into such an aromatic flavour. Half way through cooking Chef drizzles some oil on the onion bhaji's and this really gives them a deep fried flavour.

If you cook these onion bhaji's for friends they would certainly believe that they have been deep fried, yet they are cooked with healthy oil and baked in the oven.

Chefs secret ingredient for this onion bhaji recipe is using buckwheat flour as the taste is absolutely amazing, if you can only find chickpea flour try Chefs other onion bhaji recipe which uses gram flour.

If you give Chef Jeenas Onion Bhaji Recipe a go... I guarantee you will be delighted by the wonderful taste.




Ingredients..

5 Small Onions
5 Tbsp Buckwheat Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Coriander
Olive Oil
1 Large tsp Tomato Puree
1 and 1/4 Shot Glass Measure Water (a small egg cup can be used to measure)

Spices for the Pan..
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 tsp Cumin Powder
1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
1/4 Chilli Powder


How to make perfect onion bhaji recipe



Cut the onions in half then cut into slices, not too thick nor too thin.

Drizzle a little oil into a large pan/wok and gently cook the onions until they start turning soft and translucent in colour, do not brown them or over cook them.

This should take no longer than 10 minutes, keep stiring the onions so they do not over cook.



When the onions are ready sprinkle in the chilli powder and mix well.

Straight after add the turmeric, cumin, ginger and coriander, stir well again then switch off the heat.




In a bowl place buckwheat flour, salt, coriander and cumin, mix together well.

Now place the onions into the bowl and mix well again.

Once the flour mixture has coated all of the onions place the tomato puree into a shot glass/small egg cup and fill with water.

Mix the tomato puree with the water then pour this into the onion mixture.

Fill the shot glass/small egg cup just one quarter full with water and add to the onion bhaji mixture, stir very well.




The mixture should be wet and easy to stir but not watery or too sloppy in texture.

If you added too much water add a few pinches of flour till you get the right consistency.

If the onion bhaji mixture is a little too thick and dry add a little drop of water at a time till it loosens up.

Do try to keep to Chefs measurements as the bhajis can turn cake like with too much flour and liquid.





Drizzle some oil onto a baking tray, place two tablespoons of the onion bhaji mixture onto the oven tray per onion bhaji - flatten a little with the back of a spoon.

Place into a hot oven at 180C for 10 minutes.




After 10 minutes take the onion bhajis out of the oven.

Drizzle a little oil over the tops of the onion bhajis.

Place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.

For the full deep fried effect of the onion bhajis you must drizzle on the oil half way through.




When the onion bhaji's are golden brown they are ready.

Take out of the oven and remove straight from the tray to a plate.




Enjoy Chefs best ever onion bhaji recipe.

They are so very delicious and very healthy.




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Enjoy Chef Jeenas onion bhaji's.


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54 comments:

Prajusha said...

hi jeena,
yes, Iam back after vacation.
bhaji looks yummy yummy...while making bhaji i use chickpea flour and no tomato puree.:)
Ur blog header looks so beautiful.

Chef Jeena said...

Hi Prajusha thanks for stopping by. :) Thankyou for commenting on my header. :) Chickpea flour is great in bhaji's also I agree. :)

Tracy Tan said...

this looks really delicious. not only do i love onions but done this way - must be really tasty.

when i saw the pictures i thought they were battered and fried but now i know they are just baked in the oven - healthy!

Peter M said...

Jeena, they look like an onion fritter? My mind went straight to using chick pea flour for this.

I've just expanded my food horizins again!

amna said...

this looks delish, Jeena. we normally deep fry our bajjis but baking is such a healthy alternative. i love the hot and sweet taste of these. and i also love the new look of ur blog :)

Simply...Gluten-free said...

These look wonderful and as I am gluten-free I can enjoy then with either the buckwheat flour or the chickpea flour. I can't wait to try these out.

This is my first time visiting, I look forward to coming back!

Rachel said...

hey i am going to make them cos my husband loves onions and am sure he'll love this as well..lovely pics and i like the step-by step explanation

Finla said...

Jeena this is torture, the more i scrawl down more my stomach is grumbling for those delicious bhajis. They just look super delicious.
I don't make tham that often just when i have guest. But your version i am sure going to try them as they are made in the oven.
Instead of the buckwheat frlour can i use chickpea flour

Anonymous said...

Jeena wow !!! Your blog is amazing and the photo's are excellent :-)

I too am hungry every time I see these wonderful recipes.

I like to eat my onion bhajis with salad and I usually deep fry mine too but not anymore ! ( I will try the oven instead as there seem so healthy) and they look so so tasty :)

narinder

ruthEbabes said...

These look fab Jeena - I have been wanting to try make some onion bhajis but always thought they were a deep fried thing and we don't have facilities for deep frying, so this looks like a perfect, healthy and rather easy option! Will have to try this soon, but maybe after all the Christmas hype. lol

Sagari said...

wowwwww jeena your pics looks soooooo tempting and baking bajjis wonderfull recipe

Seena said...

OH you baked it! lovely, Jeena.

Cynthia said...

Jeena, I am in love with your header! It is fantastic. I love your onion bhaji and instructive photographs. I particularly like that they are baked. You are one creative cook!

Kribha said...

Very creative Jeena. I appreciate your effort in making even the unhealthy food healthy. Bhajis look gorgeous.

Rosie said...

Wowieeeeeeee Jeena, now your bhaji's "DO" look amazing and delish!!!!!!!!

I'm really feeling hungry now......

Rosie x

Chef Jeena said...

Tracy they certainly are lots healthier than deep frying. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Peter us Brits love onion Bhaji's they Indian in origin I guess they kind of are like fritters. Chickpea flour is used also in this kind of recipe but buckwheat flour tastes so so good it is as though buckwheat flour was made specialy for bhajis. :)

Nags thankyou for commenting on my blog. :) These bhajis really are yummy. :)

Carol welcome to my blog thanks for commenting. :) Yes my bhajis are gluten free and so delicious too. Do let me know how they go if you make them, I am sure you will love them. :)

Rachel let me know how it goes if you make my bhajis, they taste delicious. The amount of flour is perfect with the onions as it does not turn them too cake like...they are packed with onion-y sweetness. :) Thanks for stopping by.

Happy cook these are really simple to make and well worth it when you taste them. Do let me know if you cook some up. :) Chickpea flour is fine but if you can get buckwheat flour it is well worth trying because the taste really is amazing. :)

Narinder Thanks for stopping by I am happy you like my blog and recipes. :) I am sure you will love trying these bhajis in the oven. Thankyou for the lovely comment. :)

ruthEbabes I am sure you will love this recipe they are so tasty. Even though they are oven cooked because I drizzle a little oil on half way through cooking they taste deep fried yet they are not! It's great to eat something that make syou feel guilty at first but then you realise that they were cooked healthy but taste so good. :) Let me know how it goes after all the christmas hype. :)

sagari thanks for stopping by they taste amazing too. :)

Seena yes and they still taste so good. :) Thanks for stopping by. :)

Cynthia thankyou so much for your lovely comment. :) I'm glad you like my bhajis too I'm sure you would enjoy them and cook them great. :) Thanks for stopping by. :)

Kribha thankyou I try to make healthy dishes but tasty too. :) Thankyou for your lovely feedback. :)

Rosie I'm glad you like my bhajis. :) I'm sure you would love the taste too. :)

USHA said...

Hi Jeena,

You are really a baking queen.I was literally wondered by seeing while bhaji was placed in baking pan..i never know bhaji can be cooked thru baking dear...but to my suprise the outcome is very perfect...cripsy and tempting too..

The Bhandari's said...

great... never tried buckwheat flour (another reason now to get this flour) we usually use gramflour and semolina (semolina makes it crispier) and love adding green chillies and coriander leaves but yes never have ever baked them, always deep fried so this time will try my hand on baking as no doubt much healthier :)

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

Onion bhajjis are the best of bhajjis and I like this idea of baking them.

Katya Permiakova said...

These turned out wonderful! The taste of the buckwheat flour goes really well with the onion; I would have put more flour though, as mine didn't hold together that well (then again, in your photo, yours seemed to have more flour than mine did).
thanks!

ruthEbabes said...

Hey Jeena, I had a go at making these last night, but used potato instead of onions (weird I know but the only way to get my hubby to try them), they turned out fab! Love them! Definitely have to do it with onion sometime!

I'll be adding it to my blog later today. Thank you!!!

Ruth

Laura Paterson said...

Hi!
Great blog - only just stumbled upon it - will add to my roll!
I made pakoras the other day (similar to bhaji, but I used a selection of veg to make different types. Also, used chickpea (aka gram/besan) flour!) so I look forward to trying these out and seeing how they compare!

R said...

Excellant thought of baking them rather than deep frying it.... Would love to bake them very frequently.... Thanks a ton, Jeena!

(I'm gonna bookmark you.... :))

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeena,

I tried your wonderful recipe and my family enjoyed them. Now I have just have a couple of questions.

In the picture the tomato puree looked like tomato paste to me, so that is what I used. Is what I call tomato paste called tomato puree in your homeland?

Since I have only made this once and do not have a feel for the consistency, approximately how many cups would 5 small onions make if chopped? I just want an idea since I generally have a variety of onion sizes in my house.

Again, this is a wonderful recipe.

Chef Jeena said...

Hi Roy, I am happy that you love the onion bhaji recipe on my blog. We eat them a lot. :-)

Yes I think tomato puree would be the same as tomato paste.

5 small onions would probably be 3 small cups full or 2 large cups full. I have never made this recipe in cups measures before but I use UK cups to measure with.

I would say 5 small onions, 2 large onions or 3 medium onions. You are right sizes do vary especially from country to country. I will cook some bhajees very soon and weigh the onion peices on my kitchen scales to check the weight.

I hope this helps.

Jeena :-)

Unknown said...

Hi,

Just tried these tonight, excellent recipe. Tasted delicious. I did find though that I had to turn the temperature up on the oven and cook for a little longer than you suggest to make them crispy though. Perhaps that was just the oven I was using though.

I would recommend these to anyone though, really good.

Cheers
Jason.

Chef Jeena said...

Hi Jason, I am happy that you lovced my onion bhaji recipe. All ovens are different so I write my recipes as basic guidelines. :-)

Thank you for visiting and taking time to leave such kind feedback. Please keep logging on to jeenaskitchen.blogspot.com to see more of my newly updated recipes.

Thanks, Jeena

CurryCanuck said...

I love this recipe - I have always been a staunch supporter of " healthier " cooking styles .

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeena.

Thanks for this great recipe. I've made these twice now using chickpea (gram) flour, as I couldn't find buckwheat flour. They turned out great!

DUCKMANTON FAMILY said...

HIYA

I am looking to cook these. Do you think I could prepare them some hours before and then just pop them in the oven during the evening when our guest arrive?

Thanks
Tony

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeena

is it ok to prepare the onion bhaji the night before and cook them in the oven the next day i am having a birthday party for my daughter and parents are coming too so i want to do as much preparation as possible in advance thanks

Angie said...

Hi Jeena
I found your blog when searching for a recipe for onion bhajis, and decided to try making yours.

I used chickpea (gram) flour, as I had just bought some.

They were delicious, very authentic, and taste just like the ones from my local Indian takeaway, but they are so much healthier. And so easy to make as well!

Thanks Jeena, I've bookmarked your blog, and will be trying your other recipes!

Scatterpult said...

These sound very tasty and I'm about to give them a go for lunch.

I'm not entirely sure that baking them with oil is significantly healthier than deep-frying though. Deep frying gets a bad reputation but in fact if you deep fry in hood, hot oil and drain them on kitchen paper afterwards it's not so bad really. In contrast, drizzling cold oil onto them while they're in the oven will probably mean they absorb more oil.

But as with all these "bad for you" things, it's only unhealthy if you eat too much, too often.

Scatterpult said...

Delicious. I'm completely incapable of following a recipe without tweaking it and added a half tsp of amchoor, some peas and, perhaps less authentically, a little grated carrot.

But yes, I can recommend your recipe highly and not having to deal with vast quantities of oil for deep frying is a practical advantage.

Angie said...

Scatterpult - I don't add the oil during cooking, and they come out perfectly well.

Hahn said...

I love this recipe and the bonus is that you bake it and not fry it! My husband with an English palate loves it and I've tweaked it a little by increasing the quantity of spices :) I'm attemtping your Egg Custard Recipe today. Wish me luck! And thanks for all your recipes with good clear explanation and photos!!!

Chef Jeena said...

Hi Hahn,

I'm glad you like my onion bhaji recipe. I would love to hear how the egg custard goes.

Thanks, Jeena.

Anonymous said...

Jeena, I'm in the States and the buckwheat flour I have is dark in color, a grayish brown. I noticed the pic of your buckwheat is white; do you know if there are different kinds of buckwheat flour, some that are more processed and/or bleached? I'd love to make these, but I'm afraid that the buckwheat flour I have is the wrong one. Any insight?

ergoproxy said...

tried this and they work brilliantly, so glad I found your blog
thanks

Anonymous said...

Hi jeena

Made thse bhaji for my fathers birhtday, and man was they goooood. everyone loved them them so much. Many thanks. RF :-)

Karen B said...

I made these for the first time this weekend for friends, my partner usually doesnt have bhajis, but he is well and truely converted, we will never buy another bhaji - these are much nicer - would recommend this recipe to anyone!!

Anonymous said...

Can these be frozen once cooked and then reheated in the oven at a later date for convenience?

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeena,

I absolutely love your blog and your recipes! I just wanted to ask about variations of this recipe. What other vegetables could be used instead of or in addition to onions (not including mushrooms or potatoes)?

Thanks

Unknown said...

Hi Jeena can you suggest an alternative for the buckwheat flour? or is it essential

Chef Jeena said...

Hi Eoin,

Please see my other onion bhaji recipe here onion bhaji recipe

it uses chickpea flour instead of buckwheat.

Thanks, Jeena.

Kannan said...

Your blog is very good.

bopeep said...

Jeena,
this recipe is fantastic, after trying another one from a veggie website I can confirm these are without doubt a WORLD apart from other recipes. I am currently trying very hard to resist going back for another one before my boyfriend gets home for dinner!! Thankyou so much for sharing, the spices and quantities are perfect- you are a talented chef! Love your site too, as a vegan this is a treasure trove of recipes! :D

jefc said...

I have used this recipe a few times - it is great! I hate deep frying things. Here is my tribute;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jefc/sets/72157625437218956/with/5194385081/

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I live in Bulgaria,i can only get ordinary bread flour out here.Would this be ok for these lovely looking Bhaji's
Thanks Roy.

Jill said...

Hi Jeena

I have just baked these bhaji's at home. they are really delicious! Really tasty. what an excellent receipe! I couldnt find the correct flour to use so i used Gram Flour thanks so much x

MARK G said...

HI JEENA, I WAS SEARCHING THE WEB FOR ONION BHAJI,SAND SAW YOURS THAT ARE BAKED , WHICH SEEMS MUCH LESS FUSS SO I THOUGHT I,D HAVE A GO AND THEY WERE DELICIOUS I,LL BE MAKING MY OWN FROM NOW ON .THANKS A LOT . MARK G

mark g said...

hi jeena . absolutley loved these i,ll be making my own from now on thanks

nazreena said...

ginger garlic paste about three teaboons and pepper powder and salt soya sauce one teaspoon and chilly sauce about one teaspoons chopped onion and green chillies and kotha mali and chopped

Anonymous said...

thanks for this recipe - i spent the afternoon with my husband and 3 week old boy making this recipe today and the bhajis are wonderful!i love the fact they're baked not fried. Really tasty - I'll be back to try more recipes very soon,

Kate