Kanda Bhaji

Crispy, savory and absolutely kurkurit (Marathi word for crispy) – these Kanda Bhaji aka Onion Bhajis / Onion fritters are a ‘sine qua non‘ -a must make! ‘Kanda’ is Onions in Marathi and Bhaji is fritters. Thinly sliced onions coated in a chickpea flour batter, basic spices and then dropped into hot oil and cooked until crisp. These, naturally gluten free and vegan snack are my absolute favorite and I simply find excuses to make them.

What was meant to, or started as a sunny day, turned into a cloudy and cold evening. You could feel the nip in the air when we went for our routine evening walk. A day spent in hiraeth, ( A Welsh word meaning -A deep homesickness; an intense form of longing or nostalgia for a place long gone, or even an unaccountable homesickness for a place you have never visited) I knew I had to snap myself out of this and what could bring more cheer than cooking.

Vancouver aka ‘Raincouver”s weather is my favorite excuse to indulge in Kanda Bhaji. It rains here that frequently and so these are made quite often. And Kanda Bhajis are totally ADDICTIVE. You simply can’t stop after having one. Hot, crunchy, crispy Kanda Bhaji alongside with ginger tea is what I call as the Perfect Evening.

In India, onion fritters/ Kanda Bhaji  are a much-loved snack during monsoon or even otherwise. In the evening, you will find a long queue in front of food carts or small eateries selling these tasty, hot and crispy fritters along with fried salted chilies and chutney. Oh how much I miss Mumbai rains and the street food !

These are known by several names such as pyaz ke pakode, onion pakoda, kanda bhajiya, onion bhaji to name a few. These can be made in a jiffy with basic minimal ingredients that are easily available in your kitchen. No fancy ingredients required!

Khekda Bhaji and Sinhagad Fort, Pune

Khekda = Crab in Marathi

NO NO, these are not Crab fritters.

Every Punekar definitely has memories of devouring Khekda Bhaji aka kanda bhaji, (curd set in earthen pots) ,tea and pithale bhakri on the Sinhagad Fort . Kanda bhaji is also called as Khekda Bhaji because the shape resembles closely to crabs. The ratio of gram flour and onions is 1:2 which gives it it’s distinctive shape. As I write this I am reminiscing and drooling about the food you get there. The fort is the historical heritage and after a long stroll on the fort you have to treat yourself to the delicacy of the locals.

Kanda Bhaji v/s Onion Pakoda

• Kanda Bhaji – This is the version I love and have shared today. To make it crispy and crunchy I don’t add any water.
• Onion pakoda:  Onion Pakoda’s use thick batter using extra water to make fluffy pakoda. Also add pinch of baking soda is added to make it more fluffy. This one is little similar to the one used in making pakoda kadhi .

Some Important Tips For Making these Perfect Kurkurit Kanda Bhaji

1. Cut the onion into thin slices. If onion slices are thick, they will not cook properly and will result in soggy fritters instead of coming out crisp.
2. I do not add water to the chickpea batter. Onion contains lots of water, the addition of water will make the fritters soft. I mix the onions and spices and salt and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. The salt helps to release the water from the onions. I then add the chickpea flour as required.
3. I have specified the measurement of chickpea flour (besan) here, but as I said, you will need to adjust the quantity as per the water released by onions.
4. To make these onion fritters you can use any variety of onions. Red, white, yellow as per your choiceI prefer red onions.
5. Chickpea flour (besan) is hard to digest. And so we use carrom seeds or asafoetida (hing) which helps digest the flour easily and helps avoid bloating.
6. Many people add baking soda in the Kanda Bhaji batter, it makes the bhajis soft and fluffy. But if you add too much soda it soaks lots of oil. I personally haven’t had any success and so I skip the soda all together. But if you want to add you can add a pinch.
7. Oil that is too hot will burn the bhajis too quickly. Likewise, oil that is cold the fritters will absorb too much oil making them soggy. Check with a cooking thermometer for them most accurate temperature read. Ideal frying temperature is between 350°F-365°F (177°C – 185°C).
8. To make sure if the oil is hot enough for frying, drop a small onion batter in the oil. If it starts to sizzle and rises up immediately without burning the edges then you have the right temperature to fry the Bhaji. If the bhaji doesn’t sizzle then the oil is too cold. And if the bhaji burns immediately then the oil is way too hot.

Make Fried chillies as a accompaniment

Fried chillies go well with the bhajis. Take a few chillies and slit each one. Silting or Puncturing is very important and do not skip this step or else the chillies explode in the hot oil and it can ne harmful. Place on a slotted spoon / strainer and place in the hot oil for a few seconds. Remove and place on a plate and sprinkle salt and mix. Serve with the hot bhajis.

Need more Mumbai Street food?

Try our Vada Pav (Every Mumbaikar’s favorite) and Ragda Pattice. I will uploading recipes as the blog grows.

Kanda Bhaji

Recipe by Samrudhi MaheshCourse: SnacksCuisine: MaharashtrianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2-3

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Make Kurkurit Kanda Bhaji -Mumbai Style

Ingredients

• 2 and 1/2 cups Onions Thinly Sliced

• 1 cup Chickpea Flour (Besan)

• 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder or Whole Coriander Seeds

• 1 teaspoon Carrom Seeds (Ajwain)

• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

• 2 and 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilly Powder (or as per your preference)

• Salt to taste

• 1/4th cup Coriander leaves (Cilantro) finely chopped

• Oil to fry

Directions

• In a bowl, take the thinly sliced onion, salt, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder. Mix everything well and while doing so lightly massaging and crushing the onions by hands or by a spoon.
• Keep this mixture aside for about 15 minutes. Adding salt to onions makes the onions release their water which we will use to make the batter.
• Add coriander seeds (or powder), carrom seeds, finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves),and mix well.
• Now add chickpea flour (besan).
• You need to adjust the quantity of chickpea flour as we are not going to add any water. Add chickpea flour till you get a soft dough-like consistency. In case if you feel the dough has become very hard then sprinkle little water but otherwise try to avoid it as much as possible.
• Check for seasoning. We added salt to onions but not to the batter. Hence if required add salt as per taste.
• Keep oil to heat. Make sure that the temperature of the oil should not be too high nor too low. If it is too low, fritters will absorb too much oil while frying and make the pakoda soggy.
• Now, drop small portions of the onion batter into the hot oil and deep fry till golden brown on medium flame.
• Your Onion Fritters / Kurkurit Kanda Bhaji ‘s are ready.
• Serve with coriander mint chutney or ketchup along with a cup of tea or coffee.

Notes

• I have specified the measurement of chickpea flour (besan) here, but as I said, you will need to adjust the quantity as per the water released by onions.
• Cut the onion into thin slices. If onion slices are thick, they will not cook properly and will result in soggy fritters instead of coming out crisp.
• I do not add water to the chickpea batter. Onion contains lots of water, the addition of water will make the fritters soft. I mix the onions and spices and salt and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. The salt helps to release the water from the onions. I then add the chickpea flour as required.
• To make these onion fritters you can use any variety of onions. Red, white, yellow as per your choice. I prefer the red onions.
• Chickpea flour (besan) is hard to digest hence we use carrom seeds or asafoetida (hing) which helps digest the flour easily and helps avoid bloating.
• Many people add soda in the Kanda Bhaji batter, it makes the bhajis soft and fluffy. but if you add too much soda it soaks lots of oil. I personally haven’t had any success when I add soda and so I skip the soda all together but if you prefer you can add a pinch.
• If the oil is too hot, it will burn the bhajis too quickly and oil that is too cool with allow too much oil to absorb into the fritters making them soggy. Check with a cooking thermometer for them most accurate temperature read. Ideal frying temperature is between 350°F-365°F (177°C – 185°C).
• To make sure if the oil is hot enough for frying, drop a small onion batter in the oil, if it starts to sizzle and rises up immediately without burning the edges then you have the right temperature to fry the Bhaji. If the bhaji doesn’t sizzle then the oil is too cold and if the bhaji burns immediately then the oil is way too hot.
• Few prefer adding rice flour to the kanda bhaji batter. add The addition of rice flour will help in making these onion fritters crisp and crunchy. In case you don’t have or rather don’t want to add rice flour then add 1 tablespoon of hot oil in the batter, this also makes the pakoda (fritters) crispy.
• If you want, as in many households, a pinch of chaat masala or raw mango powder is sprinkled over the fritters (pakoda) to give it a nice tangy zing

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