Bhajis remind me of weekends in my kitchen, windows steamed up and the house filled with the scent of spices. These vegetable fritters aren’t complicated to make, but they deliver a distinctive contrast of textures – a good crunch giving way to soft, spiced vegetables that never fails to please.
What I like about this recipe is that you can adjust the spice levels to suit yourself. If you’re not keen on too much heat, just use one chilli instead of three. The combination of carrots, potato and onions creates a lovely base, while the fresh ginger and garlic bring a bit of warmth to the proceedings.
The trick with bhajis is to squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated vegetables before mixing them with the spices. This helps them crisp up nicely when they hit the hot oil. I find using a clean tea towel works a treat for this.
These make a great starter when you’re having friends round. I often serve them with a mint yoghurt dip on the side, but they’re just as nice with the fresh lime wedges suggested in the recipe.
The other handy thing about bhajis is that you can prepare the mixture ahead of time and just fry them when you’re ready to serve. Though I must say, they’re at their absolute best when eaten straight away while still hot and crunchy.
Don’t worry if your first few bhajis aren’t perfect – it takes a moment to get the hang of dropping the right amount into the oil. Once you’ve made them a couple of times, you’ll find your own rhythm with it.
Crispy Golden Vegetable Bhajis
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 baking potato, grated
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
- 2-3 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 125g self-raising flour
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve
- Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
- Place the grated carrots and potato in a clean tea towel and squeeze out any excess moisture.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated vegetables with the sliced onions, chopped chillies, and chopped coriander (reserve some coriander for garnish).
- Add the grated ginger, minced garlic, mustard seeds, turmeric, garam masala, cumin seeds, and sea salt to the bowl. Mix well to ensure all vegetables are coated with the spices.
- Gradually add the self-raising flour to the mixture, stirring as you go.
- Squeeze in the lemon juice and add a splash of water if needed to create a thick batter that coats the vegetables but isn’t too wet.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or fryer to 180°C. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small amount of batter in – it should sizzle and rise to the surface.
- Using a tablespoon, carefully drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil. Fry in small batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan or basket.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the bhajis are golden brown and crispy.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
- Serve hot with lime wedges and the reserved coriander sprinkled on top.
