Lightly spiced, golden brown Vegetable Bhajis that can be made in 15 minutes in the comfort of your own home. They're always better eaten fresh; so make this easy recipe and indulge in an Indian Fakeaway Feast! Better yet, serve it as an appetiser to my Chicken Tikka Chasni...
I've made it my mission to systematically work my way through all my favourites from the Indian takeaway and make them at home.
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I've been increasingly disappointed with the quality and freshness from my local takeaways recently, so this is my solution. And they do not disappoint!
Ingredients for Vegetable Bhajis
Vegetable Pakora
- Vegetables: Onion, Potato and Peas - you can remove the peas if preferred
- Aromatics and Spices: garlic paste, ginger paste, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric, salt
- Gram Flour: I typically use KTC Gram Flour. It is chickpea flour and it's the key component to homemade bhajis or pakoras. It's also gluten-free.
- Vegetable Oil: for deep-frying
Pink Pakora Sauce
- Tomato Ketchup, Tomato Puree, Mint Sauce, Lemon Juice, Double Cream, Water, Chilli Powder, Salt
This recipe is my Red Pakora Sauce with double cream added, genius!
How To Make Homemade Vegetable Bhajis
Add vegetable oil to a pot and start to gently heat until it reaches approx. 170C (340F). Peel and grate - squeeze excess water out using a tea towel.
Then peel and finely slice the first onion and peel and finely chop the other onion. To a bowl, add grated potato and onion to a bowl with peas.
Add garlic paste, ginger paste, garam masala, turmeric, chilli power and salt.
Add sieved gram flour and gradually pour in water whilst mixing with hands until all combined and spices are evenly distributed throughout.
Once the oil has reached the required temperature, using a spoon, scoop up some of the vegetable pakora mix and drop it into the hot oil. Fry the pakora for approximately 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from oil and place on a plate with some kitchen paper to dry/rest. Whilst resting, whisk all ingredients for pakora sauce together.
Serve with some fresh chilli, onion and pakora sauce.
FAQs
No - the pakora batter is too wet to airfry. They require the high heat of the hot oil to solidify and crisp up the bhaji as required.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: store cooked vegetable bhajis in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheating: for best results, airfry the bhajis until piping hot throughout. Or alternatively you can bake in the oven.
Other Indian Fakeaway Favourites
If you want to make other fakeaway favourites to pair alongside your vegetable bhajis then why not try:
I would love it if you left me a review below if you try any and love them.
Vegetable Bhajis - 15 Minute Recipe (Pakora)
Ingredients
- vegetable oil for frying
- 100 g gram flour
- 110 ml water
- 350 g potato unpeeled raw weight
- 2 onions approx. 250g unpeeled raw weight
- 75 g peas
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Pink Sauce
- 4 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoon double cream
- 1 teaspoon mint sauce
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
Vegetable Bhajis
- Add vegetable oil to a pot and start to gently heat until it reaches approx. 170C (340F)
- Whilst the oil is heating, peel and grate 350 g potato (squeezing excess water out using a tea towel i.e. by adding grated potato onto a tea towel, wrapping it up and squeezing), then 2 onions - peel and finely slice the first onion and peel and finely chop the other onion
- Add grated potato and both prepared onions to a bowl with 75 g peas
- Add 1 teaspoon garlic paste, 1 teaspoon ginger paste, 2 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric , 1 teaspoon chilli powder and 1 teaspoon salt
- Add sieved 100 g gram flour and gradually add 110 ml water whilst mixing with hands until all combined and spices are evenly distributed throughout
- Using a spoon, scoop up some of the vegetable pakora mix and drop it into the hot oil. Fry in batches of 3-4 bhajis - as you don't want to overcrowd the pan (this can drop the temperature of the oil)
- Fry for approximately 3-4 minutes and until golden brown - the batter will require about 3 batches
- Remove from oil and place on a plate with some kitchen paper to dry/rest
Pink Pakora Sauce
- Whisk together 4 tablespoon tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 3 tablespoon water, 3 tablespoon double cream, 1 teaspoon mint sauce, ¼ teaspoon chilli powder, ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt and 1 teaspoon lemon juice - serve alongside vegetable bhajis.
Angela says
Absolutely amazing!
Followed the recipe exactly and these wee pakoras turned out delicious.
Far, far better than any takeaway.
I will definitely be cooking these as a regular.
Pink sauce was equally amazing, again much better than any takeaway and so simple to make.
Thank you 🙂