Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped and seeds removed, if preferred
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger root
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 6 tablespoons gram or garbanzo bean flour
- 3 tablespoons rice flour
- ¼ bunch cilantro, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
- Salt, as needed
- Water, as needed
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
- 1 cup jaggery sugar or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon black salt or Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
Preparation
In a large, straight-sided skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 350°.
In a mixing bowl, combine sliced onions, green chilli, garlic, curry leaves, butter, and ginger. Add chilli powder, turmeric, gram flour, rice flour, chopped coriander, fennel seeds, and salt to taste. Sprinkle with water and mix well so it is thick enough to hold its shape.
Check the temperature of the oil by dropping in a small spoonful of the mixture—it should sizzle and float.
With moistened hands, drop tablespoon-sized portions of mixture into hot oil, about 5 at a time. Stir gently and fry until evenly golden brown all over. Repeat process in small batches until all the mixture is used. Drain fried onion bhajis on kitchen towel. Serve hot or room temperature with Tamarind Chutney on the side.
Tamarind Chutney
Makes about 1 cup
Heat water over medium-high heat until just boiling. Add tamarind concentrate and stir until completely incorporated. Add sugar, salt, cayenne, cumin, and ginger. Stir until sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
Reduce heat to simmer and cook until thickened to a point that it’s slightly syrupy, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool for 10 minutes. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.
