Regular visitors amongst you may be a bit surprised by today’s recipe. I know that I often go on about my dislike for deep-frying things and always try to come up with an alternative cooking method so presenting you with a plate of fried onion bhajis may seem a bit out of character. Look, now and then I let Duncan, who runs so much that watching what he eats is the least of his worries, twist my arm (like when we did this recipe) and do something truly indulgent that does require a bit more oil. Easy onion bhajis are one of these things that just don’t taste good baked. So there it is, I came clean. Despite my general love of healthy stuff, I do sometimes cut loose.
I am always amazed at what Indian cuisine can do with humble, everyday ingredients. I mean, who would have thought that fried onion balls can be so addictive. They are delicious still warm and when dipped in this sweet and sour chutney, they simply are heavenly. As my favourite Australian Masterchef judge, George Calombaris, would say (especially that him and other guys seem to have a penchant for deep-fried stuff) ‘THESE ARE REALLY YUM!’
15 dates, pitted & chopped 1 tsp ground cumin ½-1 tsp hot chilli powder (depending on your tolerance) 2 tbsp tamarind purée* a bit of salt, to taste
ONION BHAJI
2 medium red onions 100 g / 1 heaped cup chickpea flour 1 garlic clove, pressed 1½ level tsp salt ½ tsp garam masala 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp hot chilli 1 tbsp / 15 ml lemon juice sunflower oil for frying
