Onion Bhaji (Pyaz Pakora)
Crisp, lacy fritters of thinly sliced onion bound with spiced chickpea flour. Shatteringly crunchy outside, sweet and tender inside — the classic rainy-day snack with chai.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Salt the onions
Separate the onion slices into strands in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt, and toss well. Let sit for 10 minutes until the onions turn soft and watery, since this liquid will form most of the batter.
- 3 medium onions
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: onions look limp and sit in a pool of their own liquid
Coat with flour and spices
Add the chilies, ginger, turmeric, chili powder, , and cilantro to the salted onions, then sprinkle in the chickpea flour and rice flour. Squeeze everything together with your hands until the onions are coated in a thick, sticky paste, adding water only a teaspoon at a time if it feels too dry.
- all salted onions from step 1
- 1–2 green chilies
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 120g chickpea flour
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 1–2 tbsp, as needed water
✅ Done when: mixture is thick, sticky, and clings to the onion strands
Fry in small clusters
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Drain and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Salt the onions
Separate the onion slices into strands in a large bowl, sprinkle with the salt, and toss well. Let sit for 10 minutes until the onions turn soft and watery, since this liquid will form most of the batter.
- 3 medium onions
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: onions look limp and sit in a pool of their own liquid
Coat with flour and spices
Add the chilies, ginger, turmeric, chili powder, , and cilantro to the salted onions, then sprinkle in the chickpea flour and rice flour. Squeeze everything together with your hands until the onions are coated in a thick, sticky paste, adding water only a teaspoon at a time if it feels too dry.
- all salted onions from step 1
- 1–2 green chilies
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 120g chickpea flour
- 2 tbsp rice flour
- 1–2 tbsp, as needed water
✅ Done when: mixture is thick, sticky, and clings to the onion strands
Fry in small clusters
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Drain and serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Pakoras — vegetables dipped in spiced chickpea-flour batter and fried — are among the oldest and most widespread snacks in India. Onion pakora, often called kanda bhaji in Maharashtra, is the best-loved of them all.
In Britain the dish became famous as the 'onion bhaji', a fixture of curry-house menus since the mid-20th century.
⭐ Why It's Famous
When the monsoon rains arrive, Indian kitchens fill with the smell of frying pakoras — crunchy fritters and hot chai are the season's comfort ritual.
💡 Fun Fact
Chickpea flour contains no gluten, so a properly made onion bhaji is naturally gluten-free.
Across India
19.08°N, 72.88°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!