Monday 14 April 2014

Triple Onion Bhaji with Zesty Herb Raita




I'm not ashamed to admit it but I can't order or go for a curry without tucking into the onion bhaji's. Despite my efforts to not be greedy I can always justify/make room for as many as are in front of me.  Follow this recipe and you won't be disappointed. 

Triple Onion Bhaji with Zesty Herb Raita

Preparation Time - 10 minutes
Cooking Time - 3-5 minutes
Feeds - 4/6

Ingredients - 

1 Red onion - Cut into fine rings
1 White onion - Cut into fine rings
2 Spring onion - Ends removed and shredded longways into thin strips
3 Teaspoons of ground coriander
2 Teaspoons of ground cumin
1 Teaspoon of cumin seeds
120g of plain flour
2 Free range eggs
4 Tablespoons of rapeseed oil for frying
1 Handful of roughly chopped coriander
1 Red chilli  - Finely sliced

Herb Raita -

5 Tablespoons of natural yogurt
1/2 Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Small handful of fresh mint - Finely chopped
Small handful of coriander - Finely chopped
Sprinkle of rock salt
Sprinkle of white pepper
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Mango chutney - Buy ready made

Instructions -
Start by preparing the onions, slicing or shredding them as finely as possible. It helps to keep the red and white onion in rings.  Next combine the cumin seeds, ground cumin and coriander with the plain flour in a medium sized bowl and mix thoroughly.  Whisk the two eggs and add them to a separate bowl with the onions and stir until all the onions are coated. Sprinkle over half the flour and mix into the onions before adding the rest of the flour turning the onions in the bowl to ensure they're evenly coated.
Heat your oil in a frying pan on a medium to high heat and test the temperature to make sure it's hot enough. You can do this by adding a small piece of onion, it will sizzle when ready. 
Add a tablespoon of mixture per portion and allow to sizzle away for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden. Try not to turn them too soon. 
Once cooked place them on paper towel to remove any excess oil. You can keep them warm in the oven or reheat when ready to serve.

For the Herb Raita, combine all the ingredients listed in a small bowl, mix throughly and use generously. 

My favourite combination is taking one (the largest one) of the onion bhajis and coating it in a thick layer of raita and adding a dollop of mango chutney...it's lives up to expectations every time.