All you need is a bag of frozen gyoza (or any Asian dumplings), some store cupboard spices and about 30 minutes.

I’d like to close a strange and difficult year with a recipe that’ll bring a smile to your face. I can’t say I’ll miss 2020 (I don’t think any of us will), but I am eager to step into the New Year with a full belly and a positive outlook.

What are Gyoza Bhajia?

I first made these during a moment of panic. It was 2010 and I was cooking for a crowd ahead of a family wedding. I had far too much bhajia batter left over after making these Crispy Potato Bhajia.

After a frenzied rummage through the fridge and freezer, I found some strong candidates to batter and fry, or as I like to call it, ‘bhajiafy’.

An apple, an unripe banana, onions and erm… some frozen gyoza. With their Japanese tofu and vegetable filling, I knew I had to try it. What could possibly go wrong?

Nothing, that’s what. They were absolutely delicious. Steamy and juicy on the inside, with a delicious double wrap of dumpling skin and crispy masala batter. Perfection. I’ve been making them ever since.

How to make Gyoza Bhajia | Dumpling Bhajia in 4 easy steps

1. Make the batter
   Mix together all the ingredients for the batter including the flours and spices. Add water gradually and whisk until smooth and lump free.
   
2. Let the batter rest
   This is important so don’t skip this step. Allow the batter to rest for at least 10 minutes before dipping and frying.
   
3. Dip the dumplings
   Be sure your frozen dumplings are free from any ice or water on the outside. Wipe them down with a clean kitchen towel to ensure the oil doesn’t spit when you slide the gyoza into the oil.
   
4. Fry the Gyoza Bhajia
   Work in small batches and use a cooking thermometer for the most accurate results. Try to aim for 170°C/340°F throughout the cooking process. Initially, the temperature will drop but bring it back up and fry until golden, about 3-4 minutes in total.

What type of Gyoza or Dumplings should I use for Gyoza Bhajia?

It’s best to work with frozen gyoza for this recipe. The sturdiness of frozen gyoza will allow you to dip the batter without worrying the dumplings will fall apart.

Nine time out of ten, I buy frozen gyoza from my local Asian supermarket over making them at home. They’re something I always keep in the freezer.

Having said this, you can by all means make your own gyoza/dumplings or momos at home using your favourite recipe. Just be sure to freeze the uncooked dumplings solid before you batter and fry them.

How long do Gyoza Bhajia take to cook?

From start to finish, no longer than 30 minutes. I’ve done it in 20 minutes before and it’s so easy!

You do not need to cook the gyoza prior to dipping and frying. Just dunk the frozen gyoza in the bhajia batter and carefully slide them into the hot oil.

5 Tips for making Gyoza Bhajia

1. Oil temperature. Keep your oil at a temperature of 170°C/340°F throughout the cooking process. Initially, the temperature will drop due to the gyoza being frozen.

2. Cooking process. Once the Gyoza Bhajia are in the oil, bring it back up to the correct temperature and maintain throughout.

3. Batches. Work in small batches when frying. Do not overcrowd the oil or the temperature is likely to drop.

4. Time. The Gyoza Bhajia should take no longer than 3-4 minutes in the oil. By this time they will cook through.

5. Ice. Be sure your gyoza are free from any ice or excess water. It’s a good idea to wipe off any ice or water using a clean, lint-free kitchen towel before you begin. This will prevent the hot oil and water mixing and spitting at you.

Watch now: How to make Gyoza Bhajia

Can I bake or air fry these Bhajia?

Do not attempt to bake or air fry these Gyoza Bhajia. The batter is far too thin and will just slide off during the cooking process. They must be fried.

You can however, reheat the Gyoza Bhajia in the oven or air fryer. To reheat: Fry the cold Bhajia again in hot oil or place them in a hot oven (about 200°C/400°F) or air fryer for 3-5 minutes until heated through and crispy again.

Other popular types of Bhajia

Crispy Potato Bhajia (Maru’s Bhajia)

Crispy, spiced potato fritters (Potato Bhajia) are the most iconic of bhajias. Here’s a tried and true recipe for Crispy Potato Bhajia that will leave you wanting more.

Onion Bhajia (Kanda Bhajji or Onion Bhaji)

The British Indian restaurant Bhajia of choice. These craggy onion bhajia are made from shredded onions and spices, namely coriander seeds, chilli, garam masala and a small amount of chickpea flour (besan).

Spinach Bhajia

An elegant crispy spinach version of Bhajia popular across mostly North India. These Palak Patta Bhajia are a popular Delhi street snack. Top with chutneys, sweetened yoghurt, onions, tomatoes and sev for a blow-your-mind Crispy Spinach Chaat.

Chilli Bhajia (Mirchi Pakoda)

Stuff chillies with a mixture of spiced mashed potato for Chilli Bhajia (Mirchi Pakoda) created for chilli heads. These spicy bhajia are a Rajasthani favourite.

Daal Bhajia

Daal Bhajia are typically made with a mixture of soaked and ground yellow moong daal but can feature any lentils you like. My family make a delicious version with ripe bananas. Sweet, hot and sour, African style.

Mixed Vegetable Bhajia (Vegetable Pakoda/Pakora)

Make mixed vegetable bhajia with any veggies you have leftover. They’re a brilliant raid-the-fridge option. Either shred the veg to make fritters, Onion Bhaji style or dip and fry whole/in chunks like Japanese tempura. The choice is yours.

Paneer Pakoda/Pakora

I can’t wait to share a recipe for Paneer Pakoda with you. They’re a personal favourite. Slices of paneer sandwiched with green coriander chutney, dipped in Bhajia batter and then deep fried. A Punjabi classic with tonnes of heart.

Sabudana Vada

Strictly speaking, vada are more of a dumpling than bhajia (fritters) but I can’t miss them off the list. These soft and crispy tapioca pearl and fluffy mashed potato vada are a vrat (fasting) staple. They have no onions or garlic, yet they still pack heaps of flavour.

Get my recipe for Sabudana Vada here.

How to serve Gyoza Bhajia | Ideas for dips and chutneys

The recipe card below includes a delicious and easy Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce. It pairs perfectly with these Asian-fusion Gyoza Bhajia.

If you’re after an Indian-style chutney, try one or more of these 4 Indian Chutney recipes.

You might also like these recipes

• The Best Vegetable Samosas
• Vegetable Manchurian
• 30-Minute Hakka Noodles
• Quick Paneer Tikkis

Gyoza Bhajia (Dumpling Bhajia) recipe

Print

Gyoza Bhajia

Gyoza Bhajia are the ultimate Asian mashup when it comes to tasty vegetarian finger food. Crispy dumplings covered in a spicy bhajia batter.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Asian

Keyword bhajias, chickpea flour, dip, dumplings, fried, fritters, gyoza, vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the Gyoza Bhajia:

• 28 frozen vegetable dumplings
• 225 g chickpea flour
• 50 g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp citric acid
• 1/4 tsp ajwain seeds
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
• 1 small green chilli finely chopped (optional)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 310 ml warm water
• 1 L sunflower or rapeseed oil for deep frying

For the soy-ginger dipping sauce:

• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp chilli
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp chopped spring onion or dried spring onion

Instructions

For the Bhajia batter:

• Take chickpea flour in a large bowl. Add the plain flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, baking powder, citric acid, ajwain, fresh coriander, chopped green chilli and 2 tbsp oil.
• Gradually add the water in stages, whisking all the time until you have a smooth batter. Rest the batter for 10 minutes.

To make the dipping sauce:

• Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

To fry the Gyoza Bhajia:

• Heat around 1L oil in a deep pan, wok or kadai suitable for deep frying. The temperature of the oil should be 170°C/340°F.
• One at a time, dip the frozen gyoza in the rested batter and shake off any excess. Carefully place the dipped gyoza in the oil. Work in small batches to ensure the oil temperature doesn't drop too low. Fry each batch of Gyoza Bhajia for 3-4 minutes until golden all over.
• Lift the fried gyoza out of the oil and drain on a plate lined with absorbent kitchen towel.
• Serve immediately with the prepared dipping sauce or your favourite chutneys.

Notes

• Do not attempt to bake or air fry these Gyoza Bhajia. The batter is far too thin and will just slide off during the cooking process. They must be fried.

• You can however, reheat the Gyoza Bhajia in the oven or air fryer. To reheat: Fry the cold Bhajia again in hot oil or place them in a hot oven (about 200°C/400°F) or air fryer for 3-5 minutes until heated through and crispy again.

Pin this recipe for later

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

If you like this, you’ll love my Vegetable Manchurian recipe

Love Sanjana

The post Gyoza Bhajia appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Like many others before me, I believe that there’s a separate stomach for dessert. You can eat all the empanadas, cassava fries and frijoles you like but in my book, the sensation of something sweet on your palate is always a welcome one.

And this second stomach rule doesn’t just extend to South American food and hot desserts – it could be palak paneer, naan and kulfi, or thai massaman curry, papaya salad and coconut sticky rice with mango. They’re all delicious and all made better with something sweet for the finale.

Churros are one of my favourites; the delicious coating, crispy outside, soft, semi-hollow inside and the gooey dip for controlled dunking. I love it all, and so much so that I want it for dessert and as a starter.

This double churros fantasy is possible come true with my recipe for Indian Chilli-Cheese Churros. They have all the delicious components of regular churros except the flavours are inspired by India. They include everyday favourites like ajwain seeds, cumin, dried fenugreek leaves and ground turmeric for the most beautiful golden colour you ever did see.

Instead of the satisfying crunch of granulated sugar on the outside, we have sharp Cheddar and crisp morsels of chilli and spring onion. I’ve tested this recipe a number of times, probably more times than I actually needed to – not because I was tweaking it hugely, but because it has been requested so many times. We’re talking like eight times since it was conceived of back in May.

As I pipe uneven, yet rustic bits of churro dough into hot oil, I wonder why it’s taken me this long to put Indian-inspired churros on the table when it makes such perfect sense.

The dip is a cooling combination of classic coriander, mint, zesty lime and sour cream. It cuts through the earthy spices and naughtiness of the churros. The finished dip makes the deep-fried churros feel saintly and not at all like that drunken visit to Chicken Cottage (for a veggie burger in my case) after a grimy night out.

This makes for a delicious party starter when you have friends coming over. You can make the dough a little ahead of time and keep it in the fridge but in order to get your lips around crispy churros, you’ll need to fry them just before serving. I promise you it’s worth it. Serve them in a platter or in paper cones for a more chilled out feel. Throw in a couple of fried chillies if you’re feeling fancy.

Indian Chilli-Cheese Churros
Serves 6

For the Churros Dough:
300g plain flour

425ml boiling water

65g ghee

2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp dried fenugreek leaves
½ tsp ajwain seeds
2 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar

Oil to deep fry

For the Chilli-Cheese Coating:
120g medium strength Cheddar
2 spring onions, chopped finely
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds

For the Lime and Coriander Sour Cream Dip:
80g fresh coriander, including the stalks
40g fresh mint leaves
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 green chillies (adjust according to your taste)
180g sour cream
1 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar

Method

1. To make the churros dough: In a stand mixer, combine the flour and dry spices.

2. Place the water and ghee in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for a minute, until all the ghee has completely melted and switch off the heat.

3. Turn the stand mixer on low and quickly pour in all of the water and ghee mixture. Increase the mixer speed and beat for about a minute, until the mixture is smooth.

4. Switch the mixer off.

5. Fit a large piping bag with a star-tipped nozzle (I use Wilton #22 – large open star tip) The disposable piping bags are great for this as you can just throw it away after use – good news for your next batch of icing.

6. Place the churros dough into the piping bag and ensure there aren’t any air bubbles in there. Close the top of the bag up and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

7. In the meantime, grate the cheese on the fine side of a grated and place it on a plate. Add the chopped chilli, coriander and spring onions. Next, place the cumin seeds in a dry pan and toast on a medium heat until aromatic. Give them a quick bash in the pestle and mortar and add these to the cheese mixture too. Combine and set aside.

8. Heat a large, deep-bottomed pan or wok with sunflower oil to 190C. Ensure the oil is at least 5-inches deep to make sure the churros have plenty of space to move around and cook evenly.

9. Line a plate with kitchen paper to drain the churros after they’ve been fried.

10. Keep a pair of clean scissors handy.

11. Now your workstation is ready and your oil is heated, you can start piping the churros.

12. Take the piping bag of rested dough from the fridge and carefully pipe it into the hot oil, snipping the dough with the scissors as it reaches the desired size and allowing it to gently drop into the hot oil. I love the crazy, craggy look of uneven churros – I find it more interesting to look at and eat but you can also go for straight churros sticks or any other shape you like.

13. Fry 4-5 churros at a time to ensure they cook evenly and the temperature of the oil doesn’t drop too much.

14. Don’t move them around in the oil for the first minute of cooking and then gently move them with a spider to make sure they brown evenly. All in all, they should be in the oil for about 2 minutes.

15. Remove from the oil, draining any excess oil and then transfer them to the paper towel-lined plate. They’ll become crispier as they cool here.

16. After a minute or so, place the cooked churros into the plate of chilli cheese, tossing them in the cheese. Place them onto another tray and repeat this process until you’ve used up all the churros dough.

Note: It’s important you toss the churros in the cheese mixture while they’re still super hot so it sticks to them properly.

Note: Also, if you’re going to fry some chillies to serve alongside the churros, make some holes in them first. Nobody likes hot oil and exploding chillies.

Method for the Dip:

1. To make the Coriander and Lime Sour Cream: Combine all the ingredients except the sour cream in a blender. I use my NutriBullet. Add a splash of water too. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and add half the sour cream. Stir to combine.

2. Before serving, place the remainder if the sour cream into a bowl and add in the coriander mixture. Stir gently for a sour cream swirl effect.

Love Sanjana

The post Indian Chilli-Cheese Churros appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

My tandoor obsession

Every year, ask me what I want for my birthday and you’ll get the same response each time. It’s not an expensive pair of shoes and it’s not perfume, it definitely isn’t a designer handbag or clothes. I don’t really care about those things. What I really want is my own tandoor.

But why a tandoor?

The idea of having a raging-hot pit of fiery coals in my kitchen makes me go weak at the knees. Install a beautiful granite countertop and leave just enough space for a cavernous drop into a heat-proof cylinder.

Pop in a clay oven and watch me go nuts with recipes galore. I’ll pretend I’m Sanjeev Kapoor or Cyrus Todiwala, reaching in with my gigantic asbestos hands.

What can you cook in a tandoor?

What can’t you cook in a tandoor? I would make fresh, homemade naan with charred edges and chewy middles, kebabs of all shapes and sizes and the best baked potatoes life has to offer!

Birthday week!

Well, my 28th birthday just went and sadly, I didn’t get my own tandoor. I did however, have the most wonderful birthday cake from Mr Feasts. It was the first cake he’d ever baked and he totally nailed it.

The next best thing: An oven

I’m hoping one day someone will take me up on my request for a tandoor but in the meantime, I’m getting my tandoori food fix using the trusty oven.

Whack it up as high as it will go and when it’s smoking hot, stow your food inside, closing the door swiftly. I do naans like this all the time and it works a charm.

What are Momos?

Except I didn’t make just any dumplings, I made Momos. The most delicious Indian-style dumplings filled with veggies, paneer, ginger and soy sauce.

Folding dumplings is one of the most cathartic things you can do. Little parcels, half moons, gyoza-style or tortellini style, the possibilities are endless.

I love nothing more than a ‪Saturday afternoon in with a cup of chai, a good movie and a marathon dumpling-making session. So after a long week at work, I did just that.

How to serve Vegetarian Tandoori Momos

Traditionally, Nepali Momos are served with hot tomato chutney but instead, I made my own tandoori marinade (the one I use for making my Tandoori Paneer Samosas) and covered the Momos in it before popping them into the sweltering pit of fire, a.k.a, the oven.

The Vegetarian Tandoori Momos

The pastry is of course, homemade – why not when it’s just three ingredients: flour, hot water and salt. It’s worth making your own, and so much easier when it comes to folding the Momos.

You can make them any shape you like but I thought the simple half moon was pretty.

Can I use this recipe to make regular momos?

You can skip the Tandoori paste part entirely and just straight up fry and steam them like Japanese gyozas – but where’s the fun in that?

No, I’m kidding, they’re absolutely delicious steamed too. Serve them with hot tomato and chilli chutney, adding a glug of sesame oil for good measure.

Word of warning

Once these are out of the oven, you’ll find yourself waiting to frantically get one into your mouth.

Don’t do that. If you’ve ever eaten a hot apple pie from McDonald’s and felt the sensation of the skin on the roof of your mouth being seared like a steak, you’ll know why.

Give your Vegetarian Tandoori Momos a street-style finish

Tumble the momos onto a platter or plate, cover them with sliced red onions, lemon wedges, cooling yoghurt and fresh coriander.

What’s also amazing is brushing them with butter as soon as the come out of the oven. Watch them glisten as you try your best not to go all Tasmanian Devil on them.

Serve immediately and watch them disappear faster than you can say ‘Sanjana, here’s your very own birthday tandoor.’

I can only dream.

How to make Vegetarian Tandoori Momos

Print

Vegetable and Paneer Tandoori Momos

These vegetable and paneer-filled dumplings are so delicious. Slather each one in Tandoori marinade and cook under intense heat for the heavenly charcoal smokiness we all know and love.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Nepali

Keyword dumplings, paneer, tandoori, vegetables

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 200 g plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 120 ml boiling water just enough to bind to a firm, smooth dough

For the filling:

• 25 g salted butter
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 2 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 3 hot red birds eye chillies chopped finely
• 60 g white cabbage finely shredded
• 2 carrots grated
• 30 g frozen peas
• 30 g green beans chopped finely
• 180 g paneer crumbled or grated
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 2 spring onions chopped finely
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns ground
• 1 tsp toasted fennel seeds ground
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp cornflour dissolved in 2 tsp cold water

For the tandoori paste:

• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 8 black peppercorns
• 2 dried Kashmiri chillies
• 2 inches cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 star anise
• 4 cloves
• Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• You’ll also need:
• 1 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp yoghurt
• 2 tsp dark brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp crushed garlic

Momos toppings:

• Fresh coriander chopped
• Plain yoghurt
• Sliced red onions

Instructions

• First, make the tandoori paste. Toast all the spices in a dry pan until aromatic. Grind them in a coffee grinder until super fine. Put half the ground spices in a jar and stow away for another day.
• With the remaining half of the masala, mix in the tomato puree, lemon juice, yoghurt, brown sugar, salt, ginger and garlic. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• To make the filling, heat the butter in a non-stick pan. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent but not browned. Add in ginger, garlic and chillies, cook for a moment and then add in the rest of the ingredients, apart from the cornflour.
• Once the veggies and paneer have cooked down, about 10 minutes, add the cornflour and mix vigorously. The mixture should bind together. Turn out onto a plate to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the dough. In a bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Little by little, add in the boiling water, mixing with a spoon. Once you’ve added in almost all the water, leave it for a few moments until cool enough to handle. Try to bind, checking if the rest of the water is required. Add more water if you need to. Bind to a smooth dough, kneading for around 8 minutes.
• Allow to rest, covered for 10 minutes.
• Line a couple of baking trays with baking parchment.
• Take a grape-sized piece of dough and roll it out, 3 inches in diameter. A thin as you can. Take about 2 tsp cooled filling and place into the middle of the dough. Use your fingers to pull the dough together and pleat one side to the other, using your fingers to seal.
• There are lots of handy YouTube video around to help show you how to fold dumplings if you’re not sure. There are so many pays to do it and you don’t have to be a pro to make amazing ones. Just make sure the filling is totally sealed in. The shape is up to you.
• Repeat this process for all the dumplings. Put a movie on, make a cup of tea, enjoy the process.
• Once you have a tray or two of finished dumplings, you’re ready to cook.
• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/430°F. Boil 150ml water in the kettle.
• Heat a large, flat bottomed pan (one that has a lid). Add 2 tsp oil. Arrange the dumplings in the pan – you may need to do this in batches. Allow for them to sizzle for a minute. Now very quickly and extremely carefully add hot water from the kettle to the pan – just a splash or two. Put the lid on and allow to steam for 3 minutes on a low heat.
• Remove the lid and place the momos back onto a baking tray. Brush them with the tandoori paste you made earlier.
• Place them in the oven for 10 minutes or until charred in places and looking delicious. You can brush them again with melted butter before you serve.
• Tumble onto a platter and garnish with chopped coriander, sliced red onion and plain yoghurt. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Cook the momos immediately before serving to prevent drying.
• To freeze: Arrange the momos on a baking tray. Freeze until solid. Remove from the tray and place in freezer-safe bags or a box. They will keep well for up to 6 months. Cook from frozen.

Pin it for later! Vegetarian Tandoori Momos

If you like these, you’ll love my recipe for Paneer Tikka

Love Sanjana

The post Vegetarian Tandoori Momos appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.