Bhajia is a delicious, spicy vegetarian snack with Indian roots that you cannot miss in most street food joints in the country’s urban centres. Interestingly, the concept of bhajia differs greatly between people who live on the Coast and those who live on the mainland (bara).
So, what’s the difference between the two types of bhajias and how do you make them? Here are two simple recipes for making the two types of bhajias that you can try at home and enjoy with your loved ones.
Method One: The Potato Bhajia Recipe.
The potato bhajias are thinly sliced, deep-fried, delicious potatoes that are coated in a batter that is mixed with a variety of spices.
This variation of bhajia is mainly found in mainland towns and cities away from the coast. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to cook crispy potato bhajias.
Ingredients.
You will need the following items to cook your potato bhajias:
- 3 large potatoes (thinly sliced).
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder.
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder.
- 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder.
- 2 green chillies (finely chopped).
- Fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped).
- Enough cooking oil.
- 1 cup of water.
- Salt to taste.
Instructions.
In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, onion powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, green chillies, coriander and salt.
Gradually add water to the combined ingredients while mixing it with a ladle until you have a smooth batter with the consistency of pancake batter.
Next, heat your oil in a large pan until hot (around 160˚C).
In the meantime, wash your potato slices and dry them using a paper towel, then dip them in the batter. It’s important to dry them first to ensure that you don’t make the batter watery when you add the potato slices.
Once the oil is hot enough, add the coated potato slices in batches until crispy and golden brown on both sides.
Using a slotted spoon (skimmer), remove the potato bhajias from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined container to let the excess oil drain off.
Potato bhajias are best served with spicy kachumbari, tomato sauce, or tamarind chutney (ukwaju). They can also be served as a side dish with fried chicken wings.
Method 2: The Traditional Vegetable Bhajia.
Along the Kenyan Coast, the vegetable bhajia, which also happens to be a version of the original Indian bhajia, is a popular snack found in nearly all restaurants, and local street food joints.
Let’s take a look at a simple recipe for cooking the best vegetable bhajia.
Ingredients.
You will need the following ingredients to make traditional vegetable bhajia:
- 1 cup of chickpea flour.
- 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour.
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- 1 bell pepper (finely diced).
- Half an onion (finely chopped).
- 2 green chillies (finely chopped).
- Fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped).
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder.
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder.
- Enough cooking oil.
- 1 cup of water.
- Salt to taste.
Instructions.
In a large bowl, mix the dried ingredients (chickpea flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder) together.
Gradually add water to the mixture and stir to combine until you achieve a smooth batter with the consistency of a pancake batter.
Heat your cooking oil in a large pan on medium heat until hot.
In the meantime, add the chopped vegetables (pepper, onions, green chillies, and coriander) to the batter and continue mixing.
Once the oil is hot enough, mould a small portion of the batter with your clean hand and gently place it in the oil. Repeat this process until you have a good number of bhajias in the oil, but try not to overcrowd the fritters.
Let the bhajias fry until golden brown, then using a slotted spoon, remove them from the oil and set them aside on a plate that is lined with paper towels that will absorb the excess oil.
Enjoy your vegetable bhajias with kachumbari, guacamole sauce, or tamarind chutney (ukwaju).
Read Also: How To Cook The Softest Sweet Mandazi.