I have been advised that a couple of simple point missed by most people when making onion bhajjis or batata wadas are: (1) Oil should be smoking hot and preferably use a oil with a high smpoing point like peanut oil. (2) Make sure that you do not crowd the bhajjis in the oil, and ensure that the oil does not stop rolling and smoking once the bhajjis are dropped in there. If folks do travel to Pune, I suggest visiting Sinhagad Fort. Some of the best onion bhajjis (followed by a bowl of seasoned milk curd) were served by the wife of a local farmer who has a 'tent' just to your right as your enter the car park up in the fort. -- me Steve wrote: > > > OK Nick, I've tried to them about 4 or 5 times now, but every time i've done > it i've made a big batch and > froze them. > > They're not bad, just not like the restaurant. > > We have deep fried them, and used plenty of onion to bond the gram flour, > which we > always use. > > I thought maybe the difference is in the spices that's all, which is the > recipe, and possibly we have > had the fat too high...like a lot of things it just takes practice. > > When i try your method. i'll let you know how it works out > > Steve > > Nick B. wrote: > > Hi Steve, > > > > No doubt about it, restaurant-style OBs are not at all easy to recreate in > > one's kitchen. > > > > I've always been somewhat disheartened by the fact that virtually every > > published recipe claims that once you've sliced your onions and bound them > > in a gram flour batter with maybe a dash of chilli powder, all you need to > > do is "fry" them and bingo!! > > > > This misinformation is perpetuated on the telly as well, which just makes > > matters worse. > > > > I don't have a sure fire recipe, though I suspect that it's the cooking > > method rather than the ingredients. > > > > I have gathered a few OB-related snippets over the years. They may be > urban > > myths, they may be the key to unlocking the secret. > > > > (i) Onions should be pre-prepared three different ways prior to making > your > > bhajis: > > > > a) - chopped and boiled - for that smooth inner texture > > b) - chopped and lightly fried - for that nice fried onion taste > > c) - chopped and browned/slightly burnt - for colour and a bit of crunch. > > > > If this is even half true, it only opens the next can of worms - in what > > proportion should you use them in your mix... > > > > (ii) OBs should be fried twice. > > > > The first fry helps to fix the shape and part cook the insides. The second > > browns the outside and completes the cooking of the insides. Commercial > deep > > fat fryers are sure to contribute here. > > > > There might be something in this. Every singly-fry bhaji ever to emerge > from > > my kitchen has always been very spongy on the inside. > > > > (iii) Add egg yolk ( or possibly powdered egg ) to the mix. > > > > This could help to crisp up the outside whilst keeping the inside moist. > > > > Another possibility is to get all forensic. > > > > Buy OBs from your favourite takeaway. Take them home. DON'T EAT THE LAST > ONE > > !!!!!. > > > > Instead, mash it lightly in a bowl with some cold water and flush away the > > onion, coloured residue etc. > > > > Amongst the remnants could be signs of whole spices that your fave chef > > uses. > > > > I discovered that whole fennel seeds are popular, but I have yet to find a > > whole cumin seed. Could be a useful pointer. > > > > Let's see if anyone else has ever heard of any of the above. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Nick, > > Wales. > > > > p.s. On the subject of fennel, buy a couple of bulbs, chop roughly and add > > to your next OB mix - yummy !! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Steve wrote: > > > > > > > > > Me again....Jane the only thing I've really asked for on the group until > > now > > > is not a recipe but the secret of the > > > restaurant vindaloo, that's all. > > > > > > So, I've got a few med types, and a few madras variations, but most of > are > > > the hotter types. I don;t think > > > it is worth me posting the milder dishes because I don;t have them so > > often > > > and for that reason most others > > > would probably be better at cooking them then me! > > > > > > Also most are based on the curry club recipes, with a few added things > > such > > > as methi soaked in > > > water and added 10 mins at the end of cooking (i do this for just about > > > everything), tamarind which > > > I have found you have to be careful with, although this may be part of > the > > > vindaloo I think if so it > > > is a clever combination of spices which would go with it. > > > > > > I've made onion bhajis in the past and they aren;t bad, but could be > > better. > > > > > > Rgds > > > > > > Steve > > > > > > PS Hope you got out of the right side of bed this morning (joke) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Steve wrote: > > > > Sorry Jane I forgot to add, coming onto the group has heightened my > hope > > > > someone more expert > > > > than me would hopefully know this secret!! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Steve wrote: > > > > > > > > > > What a reaction!!! > > > > > > > > > > Jane i'm not expecting anything of the kind. Through many years of > > > > practice, > > > > > i've became pretty good > > > > > at cooking Indian grub, however one or two things I would REALLY > like, > > > ie > > > > a > > > > > proper hot and sour > > > > > restaurant with a special taste i have in some but not in others, > > > escapes > > > > > me. It's not vinegar, I'm sure of > > > > > that. > > > > > > > > > > Another is bhajis and the restaurant sauce. These are the 2 things i > > > have > > > > > the most often when i eat out. > > > > > > > > > > If you are anyone else wants my recipes, which are very good, it's > no > > > > > trouble at all. I've got them already > > > > > printed so copying and pasting takes a matter of seconds, rather > than > > > take > > > > > ages to type them all out as you > > > > > say. Presuming some of you possibly do similar, I didn't mean to > give > > > the > > > > > impression I did. > > > > > > > > > > I can put it on the page or privately, I don;t mind either way. > > > > > > > > > > Rgds > > > > > > > > > > Steve > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Jane W. wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > Steve wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Well where are they? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Bossy! I get the feeling you are just sitting back and expecting > > > > > everybody > > > > > > else to do that hard work. This is a newsgroup, where everybody > > gives > > > > > their > > > > > > time and effort free, and if you ask for things you ought to put > > > > something > > > > > > back too. You seem to be just expecting the rest of us to look up > > > > recipes > > > > > > and copy them out for you like a load of unpaid servants. > > > > > > > > > > > > Go and look them up in a few books and on websites. test a few > > > recipes, > > > > > > decide what works and what doesn't and come back and report to us. > > > > > > > > > > > > I used to post a lot of recipes to this group but gave up when I > > > > realised > > > > > > the number of people who were just sitting back on their fat > behinds > > > and > > > > > > letting half a dozen of us do all the work. If I'm going to write > a > > > > recipe > > > > > > book, I'll do it privately and get paid for it. > > > > > > > > > > > > Jane > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
India