5 oz Chick pea flour (besan)
3/4 pt Water
2 tb Garam masala
1/4 ts Pounded lovage (ajwain)
1/2 ts Chilli powder
3 Onions
1 lg Cauliflower
2 Aubergines
Salt
Bhajis should be light golden in colour, rather than the deep brown
commonly seen in the supermarket. Serve with mint chutney or tomato
ketchup.
Batter
This batter is used in all the recipes below. Sift the chick pea flour
and slowly work in the water. Whisk the batter using an electric whisk
or a balloon whisk. The aim is to introduce some air into the batter
to make the bhajis light. Leave to stand for an hour.
Onion bhajis (conventional)
Dice the onions into small pieces and add some salt, garam masala and
chilli powder. Mix well. Then add salt, garam masala, chilli powder
and lovage to the batter and beat well for at least two minutes. Add
the onions. Heat the deep frying pan over a medium-hot heat. Take a
spoonful of batter and carefully drop it into the hot oil. Quickly
repeat about half a dozen times. Remove and drain them when they are
just beginning to go brown. Repeat for all mixture.
Onion ring bhajis
Slice onions into medium-sized slices and add half the salt, garam
masala and chilli powder. Mix well ensuring that you do not break the
rings. Then add the rest of the salt, garam masala, chilli powder, and
lovage to the batter and beat well for at least two minutes. Put the
onion rings in the batter. Heat the deep frying pan over a medium-hot
heat. Take an onion ring at a time and drop it in the hot oil. Repeat
half a dozen times. Remove and drain them when they are just beginning
to go brown. Repeat for all the onion rings.
Aubergine (Brinjal) Bhajis
Slice aubergines into medium sized slices and add half the salt, garam
masala and chilli powder. Add the rest of the salt, garam masala,
chilli powder and lovage to the batter and beat well for at least two
minutes. Put the aubergine slices in the batter. Heat the deep frying
pan over a medium-hot heat. Take a slice at a time and drop it in the
hot oil. Quickly repeat about half a dozen times. Remove and drain
them when they are just beginning to go brown.
Cauliflower Bhajis
Cut cauliflower into small flowerets and boil for five minutes. Drain
and add half of the salt, garam masala and chilli powder. Add the rest
of salt, garam masala, chilli powder and lovage to the batter and beat
well for at least two minutes. Drop the cauliflower into the batter
and mix well, ensuring the batter has completely coated all the
florets. Heat the deep frying pan over a medium-hot heat. Take a piece
at a time and drop it in the hot oil. Quickly repeat about half a
dozen times. Remove and drain when they are just beginning to go
brown. Repeat for all the cauliflower pieces.
Posted in alt.food.asian
MMMMM
The chilli powder here is ground chilies, not chili spice mix.
Ajwain is not lovage, although they are both in the celery-parsley
family. Europen lovage is grown for its celery-like leaves and
seeds. Indian ajwain is also grown for its leaves and seeds but
tastes quite different. The leaves have the aroma of thyme; they
have thymol oil in them. They are bitter and have a lsight taste of
both oregano and anise. The seeds are hot, bitter and spciy.
Just like cumin-caraway there are mistakes made in translating
recipes from an Indian language to English.
The seeds are not eaten raw but either dry roasted or fried in ghee.
They are often one of the spices used in a tarka, flavoured
clarified butter used to garnish a cooked dish. Ther can also be
baked into breads.
Cheers
Jim
... Not whatever you like! There are rules for making this dish.
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
* Origin: Fidonet Since 1991 www.doccyber.org bbs.docsplace.org (1:135/392)
