Nisha Katona's classic onion bhajis with mint chutney
Nisha heads to Leicester's Belgrave Road, AKA the Golden Mile - before visiting Bobby's, one of the first Indian vegetarian restaurants to open in the country.
Nisha samples their 'special chaat' and picks up some goodies, before heading off to cook up her onion bhajis with mint chutney.
Classic onion bhajis with mint chutney
Makes 10-12
Ingredients
200g gram / chickpea flour
1½ tsp ground coriander
1½ tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
½ clove garlic, grated
1 green chilli, deseeded and sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda / baking soda
4 white onions, roughly chopped
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Method
1. Combine all the ingredients except the onions and vegetable oil in a large bowl with 300ml warm water and mix thoroughly.
2. Set a large pan over a medium-high heat and fill a third of the way up with oil - you know the oil is hot enough when you can drop a small amount of batter into it and it bubbles and floats to the surface.
3. Toss a small batch of the onion into the batter, making sure they are fully coated. Carefully put spoonfuls of the bhaji mix into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, then turn and fry for a further 3 minutes or until they are an even golden brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels.
4. Repeat in small batches. Serve immediately.
Cheats mint chutney
Makes one bowl.
Ingredients
250g natural yoghurt
1 tbsp mint sauce
¼ tsp sugar
1 clove garlic, grated (optional)
Salt, to season
Coriander to serve
Method
1. Put all the ingredients into a dish and mix until smooth
2. Season with salt to your liking and serve with fresh coriander