Onion Bajji

My dad's elder sister, my athai, makes the best bajjis ever. Her bajjis and bondas are so famous that my daughter and nephews call her 'Bajji Paatti'! Our uncle was an expert in making bajjis and vegetable biriyani. We were always treated to such delicacies on our every visit to their lovely home. The onion bajji, I am about to share with you today is the signature recipe of both of them.

Ingredients:

2 big onions - keeping the closest peel intact, cut in rounds.(thus the onions will hold shape)

1 cup of chick pea flour

1/3 cup of fine rice flour

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 tablespoon redchilli powder

1/4 teaspoon soda -bi-carbonate

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

oil for deep frying.

Keep onion rounds spread on a plate.

Seive all the flours together with bicarbonate of soda, chilli powder and salt.

Put this mix in a bowl and gradually add water to make a batter resembling that of idli batter, more on thicker side than rarer.

Place a pan with oil on the stove. When oil is hot, taking care not to disturb the onion rounds, dip them one by one in the batter and drop them in the oil, so many as will fit in the oil.

Deep fry turning once or twice in the oil, until they are golden brown.

If making larger quantities, mix the flours and separate them in batches. Add water only to a particular batch just before frying.

Serve golden bajjis with coconut chutney.

Raw bananas, potatoes, brinjals and big bajji chillies can be fried in the same way.

This is another entry for EC's WYF: Fried Snack event.