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I was reading the book The Hundred-Foot Journey and a line came up where Hassan's brother makes fun of the chef's girlfriend by saying "hot body, but face... face like an onion bhaji." After some quick research, I found out that an onion bhaji is a spicy Indian snack made from onions mixed with a dough made from gram flour, herbs, and spices. It is then fried until it turns golden brown. It is a popular food on the streets of India.
Recipe from the book itself: 3 red onions, julienned (approximately 4 cups) 1 green chile, finely diced 10 stalks cilantro, the hard stalk ends removed and the rest diced Pinch of whole awajain seeds, crushed (substitute: thyme) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric Salk 1 1/2 cups gram flour ( also called besan or chickpea flour) Canola oil for frying, enough to fill two-thrids of a heavy-bottom pot Steps: 1) Place the onion slices in a mixing bowl and add the finely diced chile, cilantro, crushed awajain seeds (or thyme), turmeric, and salt. Mix onions and spices with your hands. 2) In a separate small bowl, add a bit of water to the gram flour a couple of tablespoons at a time, constantly kneading the mixture with your fingers until you have created a thick paste. The onions provide more liquid, so make sure to add the water gradually and do not let the mixture get too watery. Add the flour paste to the bowl of onions and toss with your hands until onions are well coated in batter. 3) Heat a pot of oil or a deep frying to 350 degrees on the stove to test the temperature of the oil by pinching together a clump of onions and lowering it just above the oil before dropping it in the pot to avoid any splashing; the oil is the right temperature if the ball of onions immediately bobs to the surface. 4) Cook for a few minutes, until the bhajis are golden brown, then lift and drain on paper towels. They should look a bit like Medusa heads; the outside should be crunchy, the inside soft and gooey and fresh-tasting. I made a dozen of these and they were really good. They were fairly easy to make, as long as you follow the recipe. In the book stated earlier, Hassan (main character) had to learn from recipe books to gain knowledge of French cuisine. This shows how everyone starts as a beginner and you must work hard to accomplish your dreams!!
3 Comments
Bob Bobby
5/26/2016 07:44:53 pm
Wow, this food looks great, I'm going to try this out on the weekend. I like how you related it to the book, its true that hard work is the best way to achieve your dreams. :D
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7/1/2023 01:36:53 pm
En iyi yalova ilan sitesi burada. https://yalova.escorthun.com/
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