Fried bhajia are a popular snack across India, and chef Preeti Mistry’s version makes the most of spring produce. They take scallions, onion, Napa cabbage, carrots, and sugar snap peas; slice the vegetables thinly (so they cook evenly); then batter and fry them until the bhajia are golden brown. “I can’t think of any food that screams Indian party food more than hot crispy bhajia,” they say.
A few tips: Don’t skip the baking powder in the batter! This keeps the bhajia light, even as they start to cool off. To avoid making a soupy mess, add the flour mixture to the veg in batches, instead of dipping the veg into a wet batter. Resist the temptation to form the bhajia batter into balls, Mistry advises. Keeping the batter in flat disks lets more surface area come into contact with the hot oil, giving the fritters lots of sharp, pokey edges and crispy bits.
Recipe information
Yield
8 Servings
Ingredients
Vegetables
2
1
2
2
1
2
2
1
Assembly
2
⅔
3
2
Special equipment
Preparation
Vegetables
Step 1
Toss scallions, onion, cabbage, carrots, and sugar snap peas in a large bowl to combine. Sprinkle in coriander, red chili powder, and cumin; season generously with salt (about 1 Tbsp.). Toss again; let sit 30 minutes.
Assembly
Step 2
Pour oil into a large pot to come 2" up sides; fit with thermometer. Heat over medium until thermometer registers 350°. Whisk chickpea flour, rice flour, baking powder, and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl. Working in batches, knead flour mixture into vegetables with your hands, waiting until flour mixture is absorbed before adding more.
Step 3
Working in 3 batches and adjusting heat to maintain oil temperature, pull off bite-size pieces of dough (about 2") and gently stretch out as you carefully drop into oil (8–10 pieces per batch). Fry, turning often, until deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bhajia to paper towels; season with salt.
Step 4
Serve bhajia with chutney and spiced ketchup for dipping.