Crispy Potato Bhajias
Crispy, spiced potato fritters are the most iconic of bhajias. Here's a tried and true recipe that will leave you wanting more. Vegan & gluten free option.
Ingredients
- 1kg potatoes thinly sliced (I used a mandoline)
Ingredients for the batter:
- 450 g chickpea flour
- 100 g plain flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon citric acid
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon ajwain seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoon sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 625 ml warm water
- 2 tablespoon fresh coriander chopped
- 5 fresh ajwain leaves chopped (optional)
- 1 green chilli minced (optional)
- 1 L sunflower or rapeseed oil for deep frying
For the chutney:
- 200 g cucumber roughly chopped
- 200 g ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
- 140 g peeled carrots roughly chopped
- 1 large clove garlic
- 50 g fresh coriander leaves and stalks
- 4 hot green chillies
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 150 ml water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Immerse the sliced potatoes in a large bowl filled with ice cold water. Set aside.
To make the batter:
- Place all the ingredients for the batter in a large mixing bowl except the water and mix all the ingredients together.
- Add the water, a little at a time to form a thin, crêpe-style batter, just thick enough to coat the potato slices.
- Rest the batter at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Heat oil to 190°C/375°F in a large, deep pan.
- Dry a handful of potato slices in a clean tea towel. Ensure each slice is free from any water.
- Dip each slice in the batter and carefully slide into the hot oil. Fry until golden and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Try not to overcrowd the pan and work in small batches.
- Drain the bhajias on a plate lined with kitchen towel.
To make the chutney:
- Blend all the ingredients until coarsely pureed. You want it to be a little chunky.
- Keep the chutney in the fridge until you're ready to serve. This chutney is best served cold.