Crispy, light, savoury and absolutely moreish – these Crispy Onion Bhajis are a must make! Thinly sliced onions are mixed and coated in a chickpea flour batter then dropped into a frying pan of hot oil and cooked until crisp.
Originally posted 5 February, 2016. Updated pictures post and recipe 14 September, 2021 with new photos, tips and simplified recipe.
What are Onion Bhajis?
onion bhajis = onion fritters
They’re thinly sliced onions coated in a simple, spiced batter then fried until golden and crisp.
Depending on the region in India, you might find onion bhajis referred to as a number of different names including: onion pakora, kanda bhajia, kanda bhaji, and pyaz ke pakode to name a few.
onion bhajis Ingredients
Spices and fresh ingredients often vary slightly from recipe to recipe but the main ingredients usually remain the same. This onion bhaji recipe is made up of:
- Onions – I used a couple of white onions here but you can also use red onions and yellow onion.
- Gram Flour – Gram flour is often sold under a variety of different names. If you can’t find gram flour look for chickpea flour, besan flour and/or garbanzo bean flour.
- Baking Powder – A small amount of baking powder helps to create an ultra crispy exterior crust by forming tiny air bubbles across the surface of the fritter. This is what helps to makes these onion bhajis more light and crispy than crunchy.
- Since this recipe includes lemon juice, you can substitute baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) here if necessary.
- Dried Spices – A little salt, ground cumin, and turmeric powder is all you need as far as dried spices go. Feel free to spruce up the batter with additional herbs and spices if desired.
- Other popular kanda bhaji spices include: garam masala, curry powder, chili powder and garlic powder.
- Fresh Aromatics – You’ll need 1-2 green chillies and fresh cilantro (coriander leaves). Finely chop and add to the batter.
- Lemon Juice – A teaspoon of lemon adds a slight, but bright pop of flavour.
- Water – Mix in about 5-6 tablespoons. You just need enough water to transform the mixture into a thick batter.
- Oil for Frying – Ideally you want to use an oil with a high smoke point. The higher the smoke point the more suitable it is for frying (vegetable, peanut, rapeseed, etc). Avocado oil (though pricey) has a high smoke point making it a decent, healthier option for frying.
How to Make Onion Bhajis
Altogether the process is quite simple.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the fresh and wet ingredients (except the onion). Mix into a thick pancake-like batter.
- Add the onions and coat in batter.
FYI: Ideal Frying Temperature
If the oil is too hot, the bhajis will burn. If it’s too cold, the bhajis will take longer to cook and end up soggy.
Ideal frying temperature is between 350°F-365°F (177°C – 185°C).
Use a cooking thermometer for them most accurate temperature read.
If you don’t have a cooking thermometer you can gauge temperature with a wooden spoon. Stick the end of a wooden spoon in your oil – if you see lots of little bubbles form around the spoon and float to the surface you’re in the right region. If the bubbles pop up fast and aggressive, lower your temperature.
Fry Until Golden and Crisp
- Place a wire rack over large baking sheet and set aside.
- Warm a large pan with oil over a medium heat.
- Carefully drop a couple tablespoons of the mixture in to the hot oil to fry.
- Cook about 3-4 fritters at a time.
- Leave space between each bhajis so you don’t over crowd the pan.
- Fry a few minutes on each side. The edges of the bhajis should be golden brown and crisp
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the fritters from the oil then place on the wire rack to let the excess oil drip off.
- Repeat this process until all of the batter has been fried.
Final Tips & Questions
Can I make onion bhajis in advance or save leftovers for later?
- If you want them crispy, fresh is best. That being said, – you can absolutely make these ahead of time or finish at a later day.
- In an air fryer: Reheat in an air fry for about 4-5 minutes. This is a great method for keeping things nice and crispy.
- Under a medium grill: Reheat for about 5 minutes (flip halfway through). This is another great option to maintain that crisp factor.
- Microwave: This will warm the bhajis back up, but they won’t be crispy this way.
Freeze for Later
- Cook then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Line a baking sheet (one that can fit in the freezer) with parchment paper. Spread the bhajis across the baking sheet in an even layer. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours until the firm up.
- Transfer the frozen/partially frozen bhajis to an airtight container or freezer safe bag and freeze up to one month.
- Thaw and reheat: Thaw the onion bhajis by placing them in fridge overnight then reheat in the oven at 400°F/205°C for 5-6 minutes. Flip the bhajis over halfway through reheating.
Enjoy as delicious side or starter to your favourite homemade Indian food or simply as a naturally gluten free and vegan snack.
Onion Bhajis
Crispy Onion Bhajis make the perfect naturally gluten free and vegan snack or starter. Light, crispy, and completely moreish!
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (100 g) gram flour/chickpea flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 5-6 tablespoons (75-90 ml)water
- oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cumin and turmeric until combined.
- Add the chili, cilantro, lemon juice and water. Mix into thick batter.
- Add the sliced onions to the bowl. Mix well until all of the onions are fully coated in batter. I find this step is easiest and most thoroughly done with hands.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add enough oil so that you've got about an inch covering the bottom of the pan.
- When the oil is hot, carefully drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. Cook about 3-4 bhajis at a time (too many will crowd the pan and make it difficult for them to crisp up). Fry for about a minute on each side and then flip the bhajis to get the other side until golden.
- Remove each bhaji with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack to drain the excess oil. Continue until all of you batter in gone.
- Serve these hot on their own or with a cucumber mint raita and enjoy!
Notes
- Red, white, yellow and/or brown onions all work.
- Ideal oil temperature for frying is between 350°F-365°F/177°-185°C.
- You can quickly and easily slice your onions with a spiralizer or mandolin slicer if desired.
Suzanne Lesley Waite-Pullan says
Hi Sarah I can’t print your recipe without advertisements it’s very hard to read on a phone or translate for vision impaired
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Suzanne – Sorry about the inconvenience! There shouldn’t be any actual ads that show up on the printed page, but it might look like it does at first.
After you press the print button near the top of the recipe section, it should open up a separate page with only the recipe instructions on it. This page might have ads on it, but it you open up the print preview you on your phone or computer it should show you the recipe without anything else on it.
If the recipe does show up on the print preview then that’s something I’ll need to look into to figure out because it definitely shouldn’t! I’ve checked it on my computer/browser and the ads aren’t there, but sometimes different browsers show up different things. If the ads still show up for you, could you let me know what browser you’re using? And if it’s a phone or computer? This would help me hopefully figure out where things are going wrong.
Sorry again about all the hassle!
John mac says
Great flavours,very crispy not greasy, best I have ever tasted, 5/5
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks so much, John!
Peter Lockwood says
Tried them for first time and came out great!
Sarah Nevins says
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed these – thanks, Peter!
Shaheen says
Thansk for this bahjis…. Very testy
Sarah Nevins says
Thank you! 🙂
Norma says
Somehow I made them too thick. I probably didn’t get the measurements correct but the taste was good. Consistency was heavy. I’ll try again.
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Norma! Glad you still enjoyed it despite the thick texture! If you run into that problem again you can always thin it out with extra water. Try adding 1-2 tablespoons of water – I imagine that should be enough 🙂
Susan Konopski says
These were amazing – I’ll never settle for onion rings again.
Sarah Nevins says
Yay! Thanks so much, Susan 🙂
Gerry Vasquez says
How do you make the sauce for the onion bhajis?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Gary! I just made a basic cucumber raita: 1 cup greek yoghurt, 1 grated english cucumber, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint, 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice and a pinch of salt and sugar. Mix together and that’s it!
David Ransome says
Made them a few times and they are delicious. Just made a new batch and added a tsp of curry powder also delicious. Thanks.
Sarah Nevins says
So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed them! Curry powder sounds like an excellent addition – thanks David!
Jennifer says
Delicious and so easy to make.
Sarah Nevins says
Thanks Jennifer!
Duncan Stewart says
Can these be made in advance and kept warm or do they loose there crispness?
Sarah Nevins says
Hi Duncan! Without reheating they will go soft over time. If you’re able to, I recommend you reheat them in the oven (375°F for about 10-15 minutes) to crisp them back up.
Jane says
Best home cooked onion Bhakti recipe I have tried. Now our ‘go to’. Excellent
Sarah Nevins says
Thank you so much, Jane! So thrilled you enjoyed it so much 🙂