A plateful of bhajiyas this monsoon season Gomantak Times
Best Food & Drinks

A monsoon snack you cannot resist when in Goa

A rainy day and a hot cup of chai are lonely without a plateful of bhajiyas – here are 3 ways to prepare them

Roxanne D'silva

As the rains arrive in Goa, there are certain food items that are synonymous with the monsoons. This famous monsoon delicacy that no one can resist, not only in Goa but all over India. And, no points for guessing, because one of those food items is undoubtedly everyone’s favourite bhajiyas or bhajis.

So, if you happen to be craving this monsoon snack but are tired of the same old recipe, this article is at your service with various recipes on how to prepare bhajiyas in a jiffy! 

As for the combinations, bhajiyas go well with hot chai (tea) and either green chutney or tomato sauce or even just a plain old green chilli. Ditch the restaurant and try making these for yourself using these three ways to cook bhajiyas.  

1. KANDA BHAJIYA

Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions (sliced/diced) 

  • 6 tbsp besan (gram flour) 

  • 1 green chilli (chopped) 

  • ½ tbsp coriander seeds 

  • Oil 

  • Salt to taste 

Method

Take the sliced onions in a bowl and add coriander seeds, salt and chopped green chillies. Then, add gram flour (besan) and mix well. 

Add more besan and continue to mix until all the ingredients are covered in the batter. Add water if needed, but make sure that the consistency of the batter is thick.  

Heat a generous amount of oil in a deep frying pan and drop in small portions of the batter into the pan once the oil is hot.

Fry the bhajiyas on medium heat until golden brown. 

Once the bhajiyas are fried, drain the oil using a strainer, and keep them on a plate with a paper towel at the bottom. 

You can also fry them a second time until they are as crispy as you would like them to be. And, voilà! Your crispy bhajiyas are ready to eat. 

2. VEGAN ONION BHAJIYAS

Ingredients

  • 1 cup besan (gram flour) 

  • 1.5 medium onion (white or red) 

  • ¼ tsp turmeric 

  • ½ tsp baking soda 

  • ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain) or cumin seeds ( jeera) (optional)

  • 1 cut jalapeno 

  • 1.2 bunch coriander chopped 

  • Salt to taste

Method 

In a bowl, mix the first four ingredients with a little water. Ensure that the batter is not runny, but thick. Next add the salt, jalapenos, coriander and ajwain, and mix well. 

Heat the oven to 500F 

Grease a muffin tin with oil to ensure that the batter does not stick or burn. 

Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 8 minutes. Then, flip the muffin and bake for another 8 minutes. 

Enjoy your vegan bhajiyas straight out of the oven with hot tea. 

Store the rest in the refrigerator and reheat them to enjoy a healthy but delicious snack whenever you wish! 

3. CAPSICUM BHAJIYAS

Ingredients

  • 5-6 big green capsicums

  • 4 tbsp curd

  • Salt to taste 

  • 3-4 cups gram flour 

  • ½ tsp turmeric powder 

  • ½ tsp carom powder (ajwain)

  • ¼ tsp baking powder 

  • 4 tbsp rice flour

  • ¼ tsp – chilli powder 

  • 1 tsp cumin powder 

  • 1 cup water 

Oil for deep frying 

Method

Cut the capsicum to your desired size. Then, chop the green chillies as fine as possible.

Add the curd and salt to the pieces of capsicum (this helps in reducing the spiciness).

Mix the besan, rice flour, carom seeds, turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, baking soda, salt and water to create a nice, thick batter. 

Mix the chopped capsicums into the batter until they are coated well. Then, set them into the pan to deep fry. 

Cook until they are golden brown and don’t forget to serve hot with a cup of chai

And, there you go. Three wonderful, mouth-watering bhajiya recipes to please your palate in the monsoons.

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