Bhajias with Coriander & Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

Bhajia Batter
225g of chickpea (gram) flour - sieved
50g plain flour
1/4tsp baking powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp ground ginger powder
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp ajwain seeds
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil.
300 ml warm water to mix to a fairly thick batter

Mixed Vegetable Bhajias

finely dice the following:
2 medium potatoes,
2 medium onions,
chopped spinach,
grate 2 carrots
2 tbsp fresh coriander chopped,
1-2 green chilli finely chopped

Potato Bhajias

250g small potatoes thinly sliced (4-5mm) in rounds.

Cooking Steps

Bhajia Batter:
Take a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients (except the water) and mix well. Add the water slowly and whisk until the batter is completely smooth and the flour is fully combined. Only add more water if there is still a lot of dry flour left in the bowl.

Mixed Vegetable Bhajias
Step 1
Add the chopped vegetables to the batter and mix well. The mixture should be a thick dropping consistency. You can adjust the consistency by adding more gram flour to thicken or water to thin if required.

To fry, take 1 litre of oil and pour into a large, sturdy saucepan with high sides. Heat over a high heat until it reaches 200c. To fry your mixed bhajias, use a tbsp to scoop up balls of mixture and drop into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown. The fried bhajias will float to the top of the oil when cooked. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and blot on kitchen towel. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Potato Bhajias
Step 1
Thinly slice 250g small potatoes (4-5mm thick) into rounds. To stop the potatoes from going brown, immerse them in a large bowl filled with ice cold water and set aside until needed.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and dry on a tea towel. Ensure each slice is free from any water.

Step 2
Make the batter (see recipe), adding the water, a little at a time to form a thin, crêpe-style batter, just thick enough to coat the potato slices. Rest the batter at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 3
Heat oil to 190°C/375°F in a large, deep pan. Dip each potato slice into the batter and carefully slide into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve: Sprinkle with sea salt and eat hot with coriander coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.

Coriander & Coconut Chutney for Bhajias

Ingredients
1 Large bunch Fresh Coriander
3 Fresh Lemons or 4-5 tbsp of Lemon Juice
Good pinch of Salt
250g Desiccated Coconut
100ml - 200ml of Boiling Water
2 green chillies (optional)

Place all the chutney ingredients in a blender and blitz till it is smooth