Lots of recipes call for added water, but we find the moisture in the fried onions to be enough. This also means the bhajis are less ‘cakey’ and more crispy!
We love to drizzle our bhajis with toppings and serve them in the tray for people to pick at. But there’s no harm in serving the condiments separately and going for a good ol’ fashion dunk.
We use the common Serrano pepper for our green chilli, which has a medium heat. If you prefer things spicier, either add the entire chilli into the mix or you can always opt for a hotter pepper!
Opt for soy-free yoghurt to make this recipe soy free.
Baked Onion Bhajis
Serves:12 bhajisPrep Time:Cooking Time:
Nutrition facts:200 calories20 grams fat
Rating: 3.5/5
( 2 voted )
Ingredients
4 medium onions (750g / 26oz)
vegetable oil
salt
100g / 3.5oz chickpea (garam) flour
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 green chilli
Toppings
fresh coriander
mango chutney
vegan plain yoghurt
lemon
Instructions
Peel, halve and roughly slice the onions. Add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil to a large pan on a medium heat. As soon as oil is hot, add the onions and a pinch of salt and fry for 10-12 minutes or until soft (but do not caramelise).
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F fan and line a large tray with baking paper.
Transfer the onions to a large mixing bowl, then add the chickpea flour, ground cumin, garlic powder, paprika, ground coriander and 1 tsp of salt. Finely chop the green chilli and add it to the mixing bowl along with a drizzle of vegetable oil, then use a couple of spoons to give everything a mix until the onion is fully coated in the flour and spices.
Using a couple of spoons, place 2 tbsp of the mixture onto the baking tray and lightly flatten it down with the back of the spoon. Repeat until you have 12 bhajis on the tray. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until crispy and slightly charred around the edges.
Either top with or serve with fresh coriander, mango chutney, vegan plain yoghurt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Hey Rachael! Cooking the onions first helps to release moisture and also softens them so they don’t take as long to cook in the oven. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi i tried following this recipe but mine came out quite doughy and soft so i tried baking them longer but then they got too dark. The basic flavour was nice but how do i get it more crispy?
Another question is what can i use to replace the Emlea plant cream that you sometimes use?
Many thanks
Hey June. Oh strange. Often oven temperatures can vary, so it’s possible your oven is too cool? The edges of the bhajis should be nice and crispy like in the photos – but the flour should be cooked-through so they’re not doughy in the middle. In terms of the Elmlea plant cream, this is a regular soy-based cream which you can substitute for another soy-based or oat-based cream. However, the Elmlea “Double’ is actually quite unique in that in whips when whisked so that’ll be hard to replace! Hope that helps 🙂
10 Comments
What kind of green chili for the bhajis? There are many to choose from. Thank you
Hey Whitney, we use the common Serrano chilli, which is medium hot. Thanks!
Hi! I can’t wait to make these. I am wondering the purpose of cooking the onions first. Will this recipe work if I use raw onions?
Thanks! -Rachael
Hey Rachael! Cooking the onions first helps to release moisture and also softens them so they don’t take as long to cook in the oven. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi,
Is this really half tablespoon of cumin please?
Thanks
Hey Carolyn yep the recipe includes 1/2 tbsp of ground cumin.
Hi i tried following this recipe but mine came out quite doughy and soft so i tried baking them longer but then they got too dark. The basic flavour was nice but how do i get it more crispy?
Another question is what can i use to replace the Emlea plant cream that you sometimes use?
Many thanks
Hey June. Oh strange. Often oven temperatures can vary, so it’s possible your oven is too cool? The edges of the bhajis should be nice and crispy like in the photos – but the flour should be cooked-through so they’re not doughy in the middle. In terms of the Elmlea plant cream, this is a regular soy-based cream which you can substitute for another soy-based or oat-based cream. However, the Elmlea “Double’ is actually quite unique in that in whips when whisked so that’ll be hard to replace! Hope that helps 🙂
Hi does anyone know the carb count for these onion bajji
Hi So Vegan,
Would you recommend to prepare these a day in advance? I
Many thanks