Hairy Bikers onion bhajis are crispy, golden fritters made with pickled onions, gram flour, rice flour, turmeric, cumin and green chillies, deep-fried at 180°C. They’re served with a yoghurt and mango chutney dip and take about 30 minutes once the onions are pickled.

This comes from The Best of The Hairy Bikers. Si and Dave soak the onions in vinegar, sugar, salt and chilli for at least an hour before making the batter. The pickle softens them and adds a tang that stops the bhajis tasting heavy.

The other clever move is using rice flour alongside the gram flour. Si and Dave say it “really helps to get the batter beautifully crisp.” The 30g of rice flour gives a crunch that holds up even as the bhajis cool.

Hairy Bikers Picked Onion Bhajis

Recipe by Pinch PerfectCourse: SidesCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

hour

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

330

kcal

Total time

hour

minutes

Vegetarian bhajis from The Best of The Hairy Bikers, with onions lightly pickled in vinegar and chilli before being stirred into a spiced gram and rice flour batter. Vegan-friendly if you swap the yoghurt for plant-based and use coconut yoghurt in the batter.

Ingredients

For the pickled onions:
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli flakes
50ml cider or red wine vinegar
2 medium onions, finely sliced
For the batter:
70g gram (chickpea) flour
30g rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
15g root ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
2 green chillies, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander stems
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted, or 1 tbsp coconut yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
To fry:
vegetable or groundnut oil
To serve:
200ml natural yoghurt
50ml mango chutney
coriander leaves, finely chopped

Directions

Pickle the onions: Mix the sugar, salt, chilli flakes and vinegar in a bowl. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then add the onions. Stir to coat and press them down into the vinegar, then top with just enough water to cover. Set aside for at least an hour, then drain thoroughly and dry on kitchen paper.
Make the batter: Just before frying, whisk all the batter ingredients together in a bowl. Add just enough water to make a batter roughly the consistency of double cream. Stir in the drained pickled onions.
Fry the bhajis: Half-fill a large saucepan or deep-fat fryer with oil and heat to about 180°C. Do not leave the pan unattended. Take heaped tablespoons of the mixture and drop them, a few at a time, into the oil. Fry for 2–3 minutes on each side until a deep ochre brown, then drain on kitchen paper. Don’t fry too many at once or the oil temperature will drop and they’ll go soggy.
Make the dip: Mix the yoghurt, mango chutney and coriander together in a bowl. Serve alongside the hot bhajis.

Notes

Calories (estimated): Pickled onions: sugar/onions/vinegar (~141). Batter: gram flour 70g (~248) + rice flour 30g (~108) + baking powder (~2) + spices (~10) + ginger/garlic/chillies (~29) + coconut oil 15ml (~120) + lemon juice (~5) = ~522. Frying oil absorbed ~45ml (~400). Dipping sauce: yoghurt 200ml (~120) + mango chutney 50ml (~125) = ~245. Total: ~1,308 kcal ÷ 4 = ~327 kcal → 330 kcal per serving. Oil absorption is estimated. No calories listed on the official site.

FAQs

Why pickle the onions first?

Raw onion in a bhaji can taste sharp and overpowering, especially when the batter is this light. The hour-long pickle in vinegar, sugar, salt and chilli softens the slices and adds a tangy flavour that balances the richness of deep-frying.

The pickling also draws out moisture, which matters for the batter. Wet onions dilute the mixture and cause splattering in hot oil. Draining and drying the pickled onions on kitchen paper before adding them to the batter is a step you shouldn’t skip.

What does the rice flour do?

Si and Dave use 30g of rice flour alongside 70g of gram flour, and it makes a real difference to the texture. Rice flour absorbs less oil than gram flour alone, so the bhajis fry lighter and crispier. They also stay crunchy for longer after coming out of the oil, which is where most bhaji recipes fall short.

If you can’t find rice flour, Si and Dave suggest blitzing raw rice in a spice grinder until it’s a fine powder. Basmati or long-grain both work. Don’t substitute plain wheat flour, as it absorbs too much oil and gives a heavier, doughier result.

Can I make these vegan?

Si and Dave build the vegan option right into the recipe. Use coconut yoghurt instead of coconut oil in the batter, and swap the natural yoghurt in the dipping sauce for a plant-based version. The mango chutney is already vegan.

The bhajis themselves contain no egg or dairy in the batter, so the only change is the dip. This makes them a good option if you’re cooking for a mixed group, since everyone eats the same fritter.

How hot should the oil be?

Si and Dave say about 180°C, which is the standard for deep-frying. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small piece of batter into the oil. It should sizzle and rise to the surface within a few seconds.

If the oil is too cool the bhajis absorb fat and go limp. Too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks through. Keep the heat at medium and don’t walk away from the pan. Si and Dave’s warning is clear: don’t leave hot oil unattended.

Can I pickle the onions ahead of time?

You can pickle them up to a day ahead and keep them drained in the fridge. Longer pickling makes them softer and more acidic, which some people prefer. I wouldn’t go beyond 24 hours though, or they lose their structure entirely.

Make the batter fresh just before frying. If you’ve made the Hairy Bikers sweetcorn fritters, you’ll know that fritter batters don’t hold well. The baking powder starts working the moment it gets wet, so mixing and frying straight away gives the best rise.

How do I store leftover bhajis?

Cool them completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot oven at 200°C for 5–6 minutes rather than the microwave, which makes them soggy. An air fryer at 190°C for 3–4 minutes works even better.

They’re best eaten fresh, straight from the oil, which is why Si and Dave suggest making a plateful and cracking open a cold beer. The Hairy Bikers chicken and spinach curry makes a good main course to follow if you want a full Indian spread.