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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Appetizers

    Onion Bhaji (Onion Pakora)

    Published: Jun 7, 2022 · Modified: Aug 30, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Onion Bhaji (also known as Onion Pakora or Kanda Bhaji) is a delicious Indian snack made by deep-frying finely sliced onions dipped in lightly spiced gram flour batter. They are extremely addictive, vegan, gluten-free, and ready in 30 minutes!

    9 pieces of onion bhaji - onion pakora on a plate

    These crispy and spicy onion fritters are perfect to serve with Indian meals such as Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani, Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry, Tandoori Chicken, or Dal Palak (Spinach Dal) as a side dish. Alternatively, you can have them as a snack dipped in cooling Onion Raita or spicy ketchup.

    Jump to:
    • What is Onion Bhajis?
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Make Bhaji?
    • Top Tip From The Chef
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Onion Bhaji (Onion Pakora)

    Onion Bhaji (a.k.a Onion Pakora) comes together with a handful of pantry ingredients and tastes way better than the shop-bought ones. These ridiculously good Homemade Indian snacks are crispy, filled with spices, and so easy to make.

    onion bhaji served on a plate with fresh coriander

    What is Onion Bhajis?

    Onion Bhajis are Indian-style crispy fritters made with thinly sliced onions tossed in a besan flour batter made with fragrant spices, chili, and cilantro, then deep-fried until golden brown and crispy.

    Also known as Onion Pakora/ Pakoda or Kanda Bhaji, these vegan Indian fried onions are traditionally served as an appetizer or snack. The most popular accompaniments are chutneys, Indian tea, or some cooling raita.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • It is very easy to make these onion pakoras with a few pantry ingredients you might have in hand.
    • These delicious Indian onion fritters are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
    • Same as my other delicious fritter recipe Mucver (Courgette Fritters), they are the perfect snacks for cold/rainy days to have with a cup of tea or coffee,
    • You can store the leftovers for up to five days refrigerated.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    labeled picture of ingredients for onion bhaji - pakora
    • Onions - Traditionally big red onions are used for the pakora recipe but I prefer pink, yellow, or white as they have a milder flavor. Thinly slice them with a mandolin, a food processor, or a sharp knife.
    • Gram (besan/chickpea) flour - This gluten-free flour gives the Onion Bhaji (Onion Pakora) a mild, nutty taste and a beautiful crunch. Depending on the brand of flour, you might need to adjust the amount of water stated in the recipe to get a perfect consistency for the batter.
    • Spices - A little salt, fennel seeds, and turmeric powder are all you need as far as dried spices go. Feel free to spruce up the batter with additional herbs and spices such as cumin, garam masala, curry powder, curry leaves, chili powder, and garlic powder.
    • Coriander leaves (Cilantro) – They add a nice herbal freshness to the pakoras; you will smell its delicious fragrance while making the pakora batter.
    • Bicarbonate of soda - It makes the batter light and helps the bhajis crisp up. You can substitute it with baking powder.

    How to Make Bhaji?

    This recipe for Onion Bhaji is very easy to make and doesn't require much of your time. However, you need to follow a few simple steps to achieve the best results:

    Thinly Slice The Onions

    The most important thing to get right is to slice the onions finely. Or they will stay raw and won't crisp up by the time the batter is cooked. You can use a sharp knife, a Mandoline Slicer or a food processor to slice the onions.

    thinly sliced onions for bhaji

    Prepare The Batter

    After slicing the onions, prepare the batter mixture for onion bhaji. In a bowl, put gram flour, bicarbonate of soda, turmeric, fennel seeds, salt and water. Add water slowly until it has a dropping consistency similar to heavy cream/double cream.

    the batter for Bhajis in a large bowl

    Add chopped coriander, chilli and sliced onions, and mix well with a spoon until the batter covers the onions.

    sliced onions are stirred in the batter

    Fill a deep pan or a wok with oil to a depth of 5-6 cm and heat the oil to 180° C (356°F). Check the temperature of the oil by dropping in a small bit of the mixture. It should sizzle and float when it's hot enough.

    Into the hot oil, drop a small portion of the mixture with a spoon, and shape them into patties. Don't overcrowd the pan as the pakoras will end up greasy.

    Bhajis Arte frying in hot oil

    Fry until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Transfer them to a cooling rack placed over a baking pan. Serve warm with raita or any other favourite dip/chutney of yours.

    pakoras are served with raita

    Top Tip From The Chef

    The ideal frying temperature for the pakodas is between 177°C – 185°C (350°F-365°F).

    If the oil is too hot, the pakoras will get burned too quickly, and if the oil is not hot enough, they will absorb the oil and the fritters will get soggy. Check with a cooking thermometer for the most accurate temperature read. 

    If you don't have a cooking thermometer, you can check the temperature of the oil by dropping in a small bit of the mixture. It should sizzle and float when it's hot enough.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can you freeze Onion Bhajis?

    If you make too many bhajis and have leftovers, you can freeze them and keep them for up to five months. Simply place them in a zip-lock freezer bag or an airtight container. Defrost them thoroughly and reheat them in the oven to get them crispy again.

    How many calories are in an Onion Bhaji?

    There is only 78 kcal in one piece of onion pakoda when you make them with exactly the same ingredients as stated in the recipe card below.

    How to store and reheat the leftovers?


    You can store the leftover pakoras refrigerated for up to five days in an airtight container. They’re amazing cold the next day in lunch boxes or picnic baskets. However, if you want to eat them warm and crispy, simply place them in your air-fryer for 4 to 5 minutes, or in the preheated oven for around 7 to 8 minutes at 180 °C. Alternatively, you can use a microwave to reheat the bhajis but they won’t be crispy this way.

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious recipes around the world why not try:

    • Creamy Shrimp Risotto With Peas
    • Lebanese Falafel Recipe
    • Russian Salad (Olivier Salad)
    • Çiğ Börek - Chebureki

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making these crispy Onion Bhajis as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

    onion bhaji (kanda bhaji) served with raita

    Onion Bhaji (Onion Pakora)

    Ayla Clulee
    Onion Bhaji (also known as Onion Pakora or Kanda Bhaji) is a delicious Indian snack made by deep-frying finely sliced onions dipped in lightly spiced gram flour batter. 
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine Asian, Indian
    Servings 16 pieces
    Calories 78 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Measuring cups
    • 1 Sharp knife
    • 1 frying pan

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 3 medium onions (300 g) (finely sliced)
    • 150 g gram flour
    • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
    • ⅔ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • ⅔ teaspoon fennel seeds
    • ⅔ teaspoon salt
    • 1 chili (finely chopped)
    • ⅓ cup chopped coriander
    • 170 ml water
    • oil for frying (ground nut or vegetable oil)

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare the batter with gram flour, bicarbonate of soda, turmeric, fennel seeds, salt, and water. The batter should have a dropping consistency similar to heavy cream/double cream. 
    • Add chopped coriander, chili, and thinly sliced onions, and mix well with a spoon until the batter covers the onions.
    • Fill a deep pan or a wok with oil to a depth of 5-6 cm and heat the oil to 180° C (356°F). Check the temperature of the oil by dropping in a small bit of the mixture. It should sizzle and float when it's hot enough.
    • Into the hot oil, drop a small portion of the mixture with a spoon, and shape them into patties.
    • Fry until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
    • Transfer them to a cooling rack placed over a baking pan. Serve warm with raita or any other favourite dip of yours.

    Notes

    • The temperature of the oil you fry your bhajis in is very important. If the oil is too hot, the pakoras will get burned too quickly, and if the oil is not hot enough, they will absorb the oil and the fritters will get soggy.
    • There is only 78 kcal in one piece of onion pakoda when you make them with exactly the same ingredients as stated in the recipe card.
    • The most important thing to get right is to slice the onions finely. Or they will stay raw and won't crisp up by the time the batter is cooked.
    • These delicious Indian onion fritters are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
    • You can store the leftovers for up to five days refrigerated.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 78kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 97mgPotassium: 99mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 43IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cara

      June 10, 2022 at 5:10 am

      5 stars
      Love this recipe 😍

      Reply
    2. Forest Tandoori Walthamstow

      October 11, 2022 at 8:26 am

      5 stars
      Your Blog is really so interesting and they way you mentioned each and everything is really so perfect.

      Reply
    3. Forest Tandoori Walthamstow

      November 25, 2022 at 5:25 am

      5 stars
      The blog was absolutely fantastic! Lot of great information which can be helpful in some or the other way. Keep updating the blog, looking forward for more contents.

      Reply

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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious recipes and culinary inspiration await you! I'm Ayla, a passionate and professional chef based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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