Onion Bhaji Recipe | Easy Plain Flour Method | Hint Of Helen (2024)

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Onion bhajis are one of my all-time favourite snacks. I love them served with green chutney or spicy ketchup, and they’re the perfect side dish or starter for a curry night in. Tonight we ate our bhajis as a side dish to my favourite chicken jalfrezi.

Onion Bhaji Recipe | Easy Plain Flour Method | Hint Of Helen (1)

They’re so much easier to make than you’d expect, once you’ve mastered making them from scratch you’ll never buy from a supermarket ever again. With simple ingredients, these bhajis are guilt-free and vegan-friendly. You’ll likely have all the ingredients already in your cupboards to whip up a batch today!

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The key to a great onion bhaji is to slice the onion very finely – this is important so the onion has time to cook within the batter when frying. If your onions are too chunky they’ll end up raw inside the bhaji, missing out on the delicate, sweet taste of thinly sliced onions.

In this recipe, I have chosen to use plain flour instead of gram flour. I am to make all recipes on my site with easily accessible, fuss-free ingredients. Whilst gram flour is the traditional flour used when making bhajis – it is not always readily available in all UK supermarkets. And you might what to make onion bhajis with what you have in without having to make a special trip to the supermarket.

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Is there a difference between using gram flour and plain flour for bhajis?

The taste does differ slightly. Gram flour has an earthier, nutty flavour which works really well in Indian cooking. It also holds liquid better and becomes a batter very easily. To make up the difference we’re adding some extra spice to our plain flour mixture and a little more water. These bhajis turn out great every time using plain flour – practice makes perfect.

Leftover Onion Bhajis?

These onion bhajis will last around 3 days when stored in the fridge. To reheat simply place in your Actifry for a couple of minutes, or the oven for around 5 minutes on 180C. They’re also amazing cold the next day in lunch boxes.

If you make too many and have leftovers (we never have leftovers haha) you can freeze these onion bhajis. Simply place in a zip-lock freezer bag and store in the fridge for up to a month. Defrost thoroughly and reheat in the oven to get them crispy again.

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How to make Onion Bhajis at home with plain flour

Scroll down for printable recipe card and ingredient list

1. Cut two onions in half

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2. Slice as finely as you can, lengthways

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3. Then, in a bowl, measure out the flour and spices – then mix to combine

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4. Add water gradually (tbsp at a time) to the flour mixture and stir until a batter forms

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5. The batter should be thick and gloopy, slowly dripping off the back of a spoon

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6. Add the chopped onions to the batter mixture and stir to evenly coat

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7. Then, heat oil in a deep frying pan

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8. Add a small drop of batter into the oil once heated, it should bubble and rise to the top

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9. Take 1 tbsp of the onion batter mixture at a time – for each bhaji

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10. Drop each bhaji into the hot oil – one at a time. Make sure to not crowd the pan. Cook for 2 mins on each side, or until brown and crisp

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11. Place onto a sheet of kitchen roll to drain any excess oil – and turn off the heat.

Yield: 8 bhajis

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Delicious onion bhajis made easily at home with plain flour and spices. An Indian classic which is perfect served with dips or alongside curry.

Prep Time5 minutes

Cook Time5 minutes

Total Time10 minutes

Ingredients

  • Vegetable Oil
  • 7 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp onion granules (optional)
  • 1 tsp garlic granules (optional)
  • 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
  • 2 white onions (medium/large in size)

Instructions

  1. Slice the onion(s) into thin strips - make them as thin as you can
  2. Then, in a bowl combine the flour and spices
  3. Add water, 1 tbsp at a time, until a thick batter is formed
  4. Add the sliced onions into the batter and mix to thoroughly coat each piece
  5. Next, pour oil into a deep-frying pan, to cover the bottom of the pan
  6. Heat oil to 190C - test this by dropping a little bit of the batter into the oil, it should rise to the top and bubble. Once this happens, take a tbsp of the bhaji mix and drop it into the oil, one at a time, to form the bhajis
  7. Cook each bhaji for 2 minutes on each side
  8. Once browned and cooked, remove from the oil and turn the heat off
  9. Place the bhajis on some kitchen roll to drain off any excess oil
  10. Serve with dips as a starter, or alongside curry for a delicious side dish

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Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1

Amount Per ServingCalories 66Carbohydrates 8gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 1g

See more: By Ingredient, Easy Dinner Recipes, Indian, Indian Take Away, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian

Onion Bhaji Recipe | Easy Plain Flour Method | Hint Of Helen (2024)

FAQs

Can you use plain flour instead of gram flour? ›

You can substitute the gram flour for plain/all purpose flour if you would prefer and they would work just as well, but I like the interesting 'nutty' taste of the gram flour.

Do onion bhajis contain flour? ›

Traditional onion bhaji recipes call for gram flour (chickpea flour), but I realise most of us don't have that lying about at home (if you do, great job!). So I created this no-gram flour recipe using just plain flour so you can whip up a batch of onion bhajis with pantry ingredients.

Can you use plain flour instead of gram flour for pakora? ›

Yes, you can make pakoras using maida (all-purpose flour) instead of gram flour (besan). While gram flour is the traditional and more common choice for pakoras, using maida can give a different texture and taste. Maida pakoras tend to be lighter and crispier compared to besan pakoras.

Why are my onion bhajis falling apart? ›

The best fix is to make sure your onion is as finely sliced as possible – the finer the mixture, the better it will bind. If your bhajis are still falling apart in the oven, we'd recommend trying a muffin tray lined with low calorie cooking spray to separate the mixture into 12 individual moulds.

What happens if you use plain flour instead of all-purpose flour? ›

Substituting Plain Flour in Your Recipes

For each cup of all-purpose flour, simply use one cup of plain flour. Keep in mind that plain flour in the UK has a slightly lower protein content, which may affect the texture of your final baked goods.

How do you substitute plain flour for self-raising flour? ›

Self-raising flour has a specific ratio of flour to baking powder. To replicate self-raising flour the proportion is approximately 1 tsp baking powder: 150gm (1 cup) of plain flour. However, many recipes require a different proportion of baking powder to flour in order to achieve the desired leavening.

Can you make your own gram flour? ›

It's easy to do and takes about 10 minutes. All you need is a food processor and spice or coffee blender. You can roast your chickpeas lightly and cool them completely before grinding them to yield gram flour or besan, but for many recipes that step is unnecessary.

What is the difference between onion bhaji and pakora? ›

The main differences between pakoras and bhajis are the spices that are used in the dredging. Pakora generally will include spices such as salt, pepper, chilis and turmeric that are added to the gram flour. Sometimes, eggs are added to the batter to make it thicker.

Can you eat onion bhajis without cooking? ›

Can you eat cold onion bhajis? Absolutely. They're fully cooked and so safe to enjoy, cold or warm, though cold pakora/ bhaji won't be crispy.

Are onion bhajis healthy? ›

Spicy Onion Bhaji

This is a real healthy snack, and if like me, you are trying to lose a bit of weight – these are really good.

What flour can I use instead of chickpea flour? ›

What is a good substitute for chickpea flour?
  • Almond Flour. Almond flour works well in baked goods like cookies, cakes, and muffins. ...
  • Brown rice flour. Brown rice flour has a neutral and slightly earthy flavor. ...
  • Oat flour. ...
  • Quinoa flour. ...
  • Buckwheat flour.
Jan 4, 2024

Is gram flour different from regular flour? ›

Chickpea flour, also known as gram flour or besan, is a gluten-free alternative to all purpose flour. It is made from ground chickpeas and has a nutty flavor. When using chickpea flour in baking, it is important to note that it does not have the same binding properties as all purpose flour.

What is the English equivalent of gram flour? ›

Besan or gram flour is a pulse flour made from chana dal or chickpea flour (split Bengal gram) or brown/kaala chana, a chickpea.

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