Mixed Bhajiya / Fritters is a popular Indian deep fried snack made by deep frying slices of potatoes, onions, spinach leaves or any vegetables of your choice dipped in the the batter made of chick pea flour. The slices are cooked evenly in the oil till they puff up and cook well from inside. The bhajiya are served with coriander chutney and ketchup and are the best snack with a cup of tea of a rainy day.
In our family everyone is fond of the mixed bhajiya made by my mother in law (Geeta Shah). Since she is with us at Sydney, my son (Aarav) who is so fond of bhajiya requested her to make them for him. Since my husband and me avoid eating deep fried food, I rarely make bhajiya. So whenever my mother in law visits us Aarav wants her to make his favorite bhajiya . So on my birthday my mother in law made this delicious treat for all of us.
She is master of making bhajiya in our family. Her bhajiya are enjoyed by all of us.The bhajiya puffed up so well. I love seeing them when they are deep frying in the pan. I hence wanted to share this recipe with you.
Few tips for making bhajiya:
The batter should be thick and not runny.
Make the batter at least 30 minutes in advance and beat it well.
Add little soda only before frying the bhajiya.
Add a tbsp of rice flour to around one cup of chickpea flour to make crisp bhajiya.
You can use any vegetable of your choice in this batter to make bhajiya.
My mother in law prefers to use big potato to make potato bhajiya. The potato slices come out bigger if using big potato. Similarly use violet /purple yam (ratalu) to make ratalu bhajiya or ratalu puri. (Sprinkle crushed pepper on the ratalu sliced dipped into the batter and then deep fry it).
You can cut onions into round slices and then separate each ring from it and to make onion ring bhajiya. You can also stuff green chili with potato or paneer mixture and coat into the batter and then deep fry to make stuffed mirchi vada. Sandwich the slices of paneer with green chutney and coat into the batter and deep fry to make paneer pakoda. Sandwich two slices of potato with red garlic chutney to make lasaniya bhajiya.
Thus with the same batter you can make varieties of bhajiya and batata wada to make pav vada.
My mother in law and father in law have left today (25/5/20) to India by the repatriation flight organised by Government of India to bring the all the Indians back home who are stuck in different parts of the world due to Covid 19.
We will miss their company and we will miss my mother in law’s traditional cooking.
Friends do try this delicious bhajiya as a quick snack with a cup of tea and share your feedback with me.
Khao dilse, khilao dilse aur banao dilse….
Mixed Bhajiya / Fritters
Equipment
- bowl
- spoon
- whisk
- big bowl
- deep pan
- slotted spoon
- dish
Ingredients
- 2.5 cup chickpeaflour besan
- 1.5 tbsp rice flour chawal atta
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida hing
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder haldi
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp chaat masala optional
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- salt as per taste
- water as needed to make batter
- 2 small potato washed, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 small onion peeled, washed and sliced into rings or strips
- 20 baby spinach washed and dried
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- In a big mixing bowl add chickpea flour, rice flour, asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder, chat masala and salt.
- Mix all the dry ingredients well.
- Gradually add water and start making the batter.
- Add more water and mix well with a whisk or spoon.
- Make a lump free batter. (The batter should not become runny. So carefully add water).
- In the mean while soak the peeled and thinly sliced potatoes into water in a bowl. Put oil in a deep pot to heat for deep frying.
- Once the oil is heated add soda to the batter. Mix gently and mix well.
- Drain the potato slices and put around 8-10 slices in the batter. Dip them well in the batter. Remove the potato slice and remove excess batter as shown.
- Put it immediately in the heated oil. The heat should be kept high.
- Now put the heat to medium and let the potato slice cook.
- Add other 2-3 slices and cook them on medium heat. The potato slices will puff up. Flip and cook on both sides till golden.
- Remove the cooked potato bhajiya from the oil with the help of a slotted spoon as shown and drain excess oil.
- The potato bhajiya are nicely puffed up.
- You can see the texture of the bhajiya after it is cut into halves.
- Now make the onion and baby spinach leaves bhajiya. Add the few slices on the onions and 4-5 spinach leaves into the batter.
- Dip the onion slice and remove from the batter. Remove the excess batter.
- Put it into the oil on medium heat. Similarly put another 3-4 slices.
- Take the baby spinach leaf and remove excess batter as shown. Put it into the oil along with the onion (Be quick to put the onion slices and spinach leaves). Similarly put another 3-4 spinach leaves.
- Immediately lower the heat and cook the onion bhajiya and spinach leaves bhajiya till they puffed up and are evenly cooked. (Do not over crowd the pan with slices of potato, onion or leaves while cooking).
- Drain the oil with the slotted spoon and remove the onion and spinach bhajiya one by one. Serve them hot. Cook the remaining potato , onion and spinach leaves into batches and serve hot.
- Serve the hot mixed bhajiya /fritters with coriander chutney and ketchup or with a hot cup of tea.
Thank u swpana shah to give me credit.i m always ready to cook these bhajiya for my lovely grandson who loves it very much.