Onion Bhaji Recipe | Easy Plain Flour Method | Hint Of Helen (2024)

FAQs

Can I use plain flour instead of gram flour? ›

Regular all-purpose wheat flour can often be used as a substitute for gram flour in recipes that call for binding or thickening, such as pancakes, fritters, or batters.

Soak the onion in cold water while you make the base mix. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, then add the chilli powder, turmeric, chopped chilli and a good sprinkling of salt. Mix in about 100ml of cold water to make a thick batter – add a splash more if it feels too stiff.

The best fix is to make sure your onion is as finely sliced as possible – the finer the mixture, the better it will bind. If your bhajis are still falling apart in the oven, we'd recommend trying a muffin tray lined with low calorie cooking spray to separate the mixture into 12 individual moulds.

Yes, you absolutely can, and it can lead to some unique and delicious results. Besan, or chickpea flour, is naturally gluten-free and high in protein.

Onion Bhaji vs Pakora? They are technically the same. It could be a bhaji, bhajji, or pakora, depending on the region where it is made. In the west, it is known as bhaji; in the south, it is called pakodi; and in north India, it is known as pakoras.

Finely sliced onion smothered in a simple, fragrantly spiced batter and fried to crispy perfection. This recipe uses gram flour – which is a flour made from chickpeas. This means they're also naturally gluten free!

Combining thinly sliced onions with a spiced chickpea flour batter and pan-fried until crispy, these onion fritters are gluten-free, egg-free, vegan, and a healthy appetizer, snack, or side! There's nothing quite like a portion of onion bhaji to complete an Indian meal.

Traditionally, pakoras, or pakodas, are made using gram flour (besan) as the primary ingredient for the batter. Gram flour gives pakoras a distinctive flavor, texture, and golden color when fried. However, it's possible to make pakoras using maida (all-purpose flour), although the texture and taste will be different.

Gram Flour - Besan

It is a special kind of flour that is a pale yellow colour and is made by milling dried brown chickpeas. It is also gluten free which is a real bonus. The flour is a vital part of Indian cuisine and it is used in many many ways for some very different dishes.

How healthy are onion bhajis? ›

It also contains fiber, manganese, nutrient B6, potassium, copper. Onion bhajia are very low in calories one more valid justification is to eat it as a guide to weight loss, likewise known to assist with killing microbes that might cause colds and other nasties throughout the cold weather months.

Pakoras are simply fritters (of onions, birnjals etc.) deep fried in oil. Bhaji is a more encompassing term. It includes fritters, as well as dry vegetable curries also called subzi.

You can eat it cold or reheat in the oven.

These onion bhajis will last around 3 days when stored in the fridge. To reheat simply place in your Actifry for a couple of minutes, or the oven for around 5 minutes on 180C.

Besan flour, gram flour, and garbanzo bean flour are all chickpea flours; they're just made from different varieties of chickpeas. Chickpea flour or garbanzo bean flour is milled using whole white chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Besan or gram flour is made by grinding split brown chickpeas (chana dal) into a fine powder.

Gram flour, also called besan, garbanzo flour, or chickpea flour, is made from ground chickpeas, which are naturally gluten-free. Chickpeas also have many names, including garbanzo beans, garbanzo, gram, Bengal gram, Egyptian pea, cici beans, chi chi beans and cece beans.

With its slightly sweet and nutty flavor and powdery consistency, millet flour makes a suitable chickpea flour substitute. It's ideal for both sweet baking, bread making and savory cooking. Swap millet flour in for chickpea flour at a 1:1 ratio.

Chickpea or gram flour is an excellent substitute for refined wheat flour. Not only is it lower in carbs and calories, but it's also higher in protein and fiber. Studies indicate that it may have antioxidant properties.