ONION BHAJIS

Onion bhajis are best cooked in two stages. The first cooking is in oil that is hot enough for them to sizzle and cook through. Then they are fried again in hotter oil to give them a darker, crispier exterior.

Serves 4-8

3 onions (slightly larger than tennis balls), peeled and sliced 1tsp sea salt

4tbsp rice flour

140g (5oz) gram flour (from supermarkets)

1tbsp garlic paste (blend garlic in a food processor with just enough water to make a smooth paste) 2.5cm (1in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks 2 fresh green chillies, roughly chopped

1tbsp Indian five spice (from Asian supermarkets)

2tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for deep-frying

3tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Place the sliced onions in a bowl, sprinkle the salt over and mix with your hands until the onions are coated evenly. Let them sit for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours; the salt will release the moisture from the onions, which will become part of your batter.

Sift the flours over the onions and add the garlic paste, ginger, chillies, five spice, 2tbsp of the oil and all the coriander. Mix everything together with your hands. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little water. When you can easily form a bhaji with your hands, you’re ready to go.

Pour rapeseed oil into a large pan to about 10cm (4in) deep. Heat the oil to 160°C. Form the mixture into bhajis the size of golf balls, or larger if you prefer. Fry in batches until lightly browned and cooked through (you can remove one and cut open to test), then remove to a rack using a slotted spoon. Raise the heat of the oil to 180°C and fry again in batches until browned to your liking. Serve immediately or place on a rack over a foil-lined dish in a low oven for up to 30 minutes to keep warm.