Trio of onion bhajis with curry sauce

Crisp, golden onion bhajis with vegetable variations, served with a silky smooth curry sauce and charred homemade naan. This restaurant-quality Indian starter brings authentic flavours and textures straight to your home kitchen.

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

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This onion bhajis recipe achieves a Nutri-Score C rating, placing it in the moderately healthy category. The dish contains nutritious vegetables including onions, aubergine, courgette and cauliflower, providing a good range of vitamins and minerals. However, the deep-frying cooking method and relatively high fat content from the oil contribute to a higher calorie density, resulting in the mid-range nutritional rating.

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Ingredients

For the onion bhajis

• onion ½, peeled and sliced
• turmeric 1 tsp
• mustard seeds 1 tsp black
• cumin seeds ½ tsp
• chilli 1 green, chopped
• garam masala 1 tsp
• baking powder ½ tsp
• chickpea flour 300g/3½oz
• aubergine ½, julienned
• courgette ½, julienned
• cauliflower ¼, cut into small florets
• vegetable oil for deep frying

For the curry sauce

• butter 25g/1oz unsalted
• onion 1, diced
• garlic 2 cloves, chopped
• celery 1 stick, diced
• apple 1 green, peeled and diced
• curry powder 2 tbsp
• vegetable stock 350ml/12fl oz

To serve

• vegetable oil 2 tbsp
• curry leaves 12
• mustard seeds 2 tsp black
• chilli 1 red, sliced
• crispy onions 2 tbsp

For the Naan

• flour 300g/10½oz strong white
• caster sugar 1 tsp
• salt 1 tsp
• baking powder ½ tsp
• yeast 2 tsp dried fast-action
• butter 25g/1oz unsalted, melted
• yoghurt 150g/5½oz plain

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Method

1. To prepare the onion bhajis, combine the onion, turmeric, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilli, garam masala, baking powder and chickpea flour in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, gradually adding enough water to create a thick, binding batter.
2. Divide this batter evenly between three separate bowls. Add julienned aubergine to the first bowl, julienned courgette to the second, and cauliflower florets to the third. Mix each bowl to ensure vegetables are well coated. Set aside until ready to cook.
3. For the curry sauce, melt the butter over a low heat then add the diced onions, chopped garlic, celery and apple. Sweat gently until all vegetables are soft and translucent.
4. Sprinkle in the curry powder and cook for 30 seconds to release the flavours before adding the vegetable stock. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes to develop depth of flavour.
5. Transfer the sauce mixture to a food processor or use a hand-held blender to process until completely smooth. Return to the pan and keep warm while preparing the bhajis.
6. To cook the onion bhajis, preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C, or alternatively heat vegetable oil in a high-sided pan to a depth of about 2.5cm/1in until it reaches 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
7. Take heaped tablespoons of each bhaji mixture and carefully drop into the hot oil. Fry for 3–4 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
8. For the garnish, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a small pan until hot, then add the curry leaves, black mustard seeds and sliced red chilli. Fry briefly until the curry leaves crisp and the mustard seeds pop.
9. To serve, pour the warm curry sauce into individual bowls, arrange the trio of bhajis on top and scatter with the fried curry leaf mixture. Finish with a sprinkle of crispy onions.
10. For the naan bread, combine the strong white flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the yeast with 120ml/4fl oz warm water, then stir this into the flour mixture. Add the melted butter and yoghurt, then mix for 10 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Cover and allow to prove for 1 hour.
11. Once proved, divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll each ball into a rectangle shape. If desired, add butter or other flavourings to half of the rectangle, then fold the dough over. Pinch the edges together and shape into traditional oval or teardrop naan shapes.
12. Heat a large, dry frying pan until very hot. Cook each naan for a few minutes on each side until charred, blistered and cooked through.
13. Serve the warm naan alongside the onion bhajis and curry sauce for a complete Indian feast.

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Suggested Wine Pairing

Majestic: Chapel Down Bacchus

This aromatic English white wine offers floral notes with hints of elderflower and gooseberry that beautifully counterbalance the spices in the onion bhajis. Its crisp acidity cuts through the richness of the fried batter while complementing the herbaceous elements in both the fritters and curry sauce.

Tesco: Finest Viñas Del Rey Albariño

With its bright citrus profile and subtle salinity, this Spanish white wine provides excellent refreshment against the warming spices of the bhaji mixture. The wine’s peachy undertones work particularly well with the sweetness of the onions and the apple in the curry sauce for a harmonious pairing.

Sainsbury’s: Taste the Difference Gewürztraminer

This off-dry, aromatic white offers exotic lychee and rose petal notes that stand up beautifully to the Indian spice blend in these traditional fritters. The slight sweetness in this Gewürztraminer helps to temper any heat from the chillis while enhancing the complex flavours of the homemade bhajis and their accompanying sauce.

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What can you serve with this

1. Cucumber raita provides a cooling contrast to the spiced onion bhajis, helping to balance the warmth of the curry sauce with its refreshing yoghurt base.
2. Mango chutney offers a sweet and tangy accompaniment that complements the savoury notes of the bhajis while adding a traditional touch to this Indian-inspired meal.
3. Poppadoms bring an additional crispy texture that works well alongside the softer bhajis, perfect for scooping up extra curry sauce.
4. Pilau rice turns this starter into a more substantial meal, absorbing the flavourful curry sauce and providing a neutral base for the spiced fritters.
5. Fresh coriander salad with thinly sliced red onion and lemon juice adds vibrant freshness and colour to cut through the richness of the fried onion bhajis.

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Nutri-score Health Check

This trio of onion bhajis with curry sauce recipe achieves a Nutri-Score rating of C (Moderately healthy).

Positive Factors

• Vegetable content is substantial with onions, aubergine, courgette and cauliflower providing fibre, vitamins and minerals.
• Chickpea flour offers more protein and fibre than regular wheat flour, contributing to improved nutritional density.
• Spices like turmeric and cumin provide antioxidant properties and potential anti-inflammatory benefits.
• The curry sauce contains nutritious ingredients like apple and celery, adding vitamins and fibre.
• The homemade naan contains yoghurt, which provides calcium and protein, making it more nutritious than many shop-bought alternatives.

Negative Factors

• The deep-frying method for the onion bhajis adds significant fat and calories to the dish.
• The recipe contains several sources of refined carbohydrates through the white flour in the naan bread.
• The sodium content is relatively high due to the curry powder, stock and added salt.
• The butter used in both the curry sauce and potentially in the naan adds saturated fat.

The Nutri-Score has been automatically calculated from the ingredients in the recipe and is only a guide. While this dish contains valuable nutrients from its vegetable content and spices, the deep-frying process and refined carbohydrates balance these benefits, resulting in a moderate health rating. Enjoying these onion bhajis as an occasional treat within a balanced diet is recommended.