Onion Bhaji Recipe | Easy Plain Flour Method | Hint Of Helen (2024)

FAQs

Can you use plain flour instead of gram flour? ›

You can substitute the gram flour for plain/all purpose flour if you would prefer and they would work just as well, but I like the interesting 'nutty' taste of the gram flour.

Yes, you can make pakoras using maida (all-purpose flour) instead of gram flour (besan). While gram flour is the traditional and more common choice for pakoras, using maida can give a different texture and taste. Maida pakoras tend to be lighter and crispier compared to besan pakoras.

Traditional onion bhaji recipes call for gram flour (chickpea flour), but I realise most of us don't have that lying about at home (if you do, great job!). So I created this no-gram flour recipe using just plain flour so you can whip up a batch of onion bhajis with pantry ingredients.

The best fix is to make sure your onion is as finely sliced as possible – the finer the mixture, the better it will bind. If your bhajis are still falling apart in the oven, we'd recommend trying a muffin tray lined with low calorie cooking spray to separate the mixture into 12 individual moulds.

Substituting Plain Flour in Your Recipes

For each cup of all-purpose flour, simply use one cup of plain flour. Keep in mind that plain flour in the UK has a slightly lower protein content, which may affect the texture of your final baked goods.

Self-raising flour has a specific ratio of flour to baking powder. To replicate self-raising flour the proportion is approximately 1 tsp baking powder: 150gm (1 cup) of plain flour. However, many recipes require a different proportion of baking powder to flour in order to achieve the desired leavening.

It's easy to do and takes about 10 minutes. All you need is a food processor and spice or coffee blender. You can roast your chickpeas lightly and cool them completely before grinding them to yield gram flour or besan, but for many recipes that step is unnecessary.

In a large mixing bowl, add the chickpea flour, the corn starch, the garam masala, the cumin powder, the turmeric, salt to taste, and the red chili powder if using. Mix everything together and add the garlic, ginger, and chili as well. Mix them well into the flour. Add the water to the bowl and make it into a batter.

The main differences between pakoras and bhajis are the spices that are used in the dredging. Pakora generally will include spices such as salt, pepper, chilis and turmeric that are added to the gram flour. Sometimes, eggs are added to the batter to make it thicker.

What flour do Indian restaurants use? ›

Indian atta is a very very finely milled wheat flour. It works wonderfully well for making Indian flat breads and chakki is the most preferred milling process for indian breads.

Combining thinly sliced onions with a spiced chickpea flour batter and pan-fried until crispy, these onion fritters are gluten-free, egg-free, vegan, and a healthy appetizer, snack, or side! There's nothing quite like a portion of onion bhaji to complete an Indian meal.

Perfectly safe to eat cold. It's chick pea flour and onions, I think you'll be fine!

Can I freeze these Onion Bhajis? Yes you can!

Chickpea flour, also known as gram flour or besan, is a gluten-free alternative to all purpose flour. It is made from ground chickpeas and has a nutty flavor. When using chickpea flour in baking, it is important to note that it does not have the same binding properties as all purpose flour.

The thing to remember about chickpea flour is that it is naturally dense. It also has a stickier texture than wheat-based all-purpose flour when you add it to liquid. As a result, it works well as a binder in recipes to replace heavy flours like rye or teff – use it in a 1:1 ratio.