Kanda Bhaji Onion Bhaji

Onion bhaji is a popular street food snack in Maharashtra. There are many variations to preparing them. I am sharing here my mom’s recipe which she has been making for many years now. To prepare Kanda Bhaji, does not take much time and gets done in less than 30 minutes. Bhaji is also known as pakoras in North India and bajji in South India. Most Indians are fond of pakoras and hence we get to see a Variety of Pakoda made here. While this recipe just uses two main ingredients for the batter, there are quite a number of variations to make onion fritters in different parts of India. Some Variations The South Indian style onion fritters has rice flour, curry leaves etc added. At some places in Mumbai, you also get green chillies or coriander leaves or crushed coriander seeds added to the fritters. Usually Kanda Bhaji has a more crisp texture as compared to other varieties of onion pakoda, as the ratio of gram flour to onions is less. Kanda Bhaji is also known as Khekda Bhaji, due to its resemblance to crabs 🙂 Kanda Bhaji is crisp, yet you would get a hint of soft, sweet flavor coming from the onions. This recipe has no spices added, yet these fritters are flavorful. Sometimes simple recipes brings out the best flavors. Serve Kanda Bhaji as a tea time snack with some hot Masala Chai. You could also make this snack easily while you have guests at home. You can serve Kanda Bhaji with a spicy green chutney or Tomato Ketchup and a few fried & salted green chilies.

How to make Kanda Bhaji

1. Slice 1 large onion thinly and place in a mixing bowl. You should be able to get 1 cup of thinly sliced onions.
2. Add ½ cup of gram flour (besan) to the sliced onions.
3. Add 1 teaspoon of salt or as per your taste. You can even add less salt, but these pakoras taste better when they are a bit salty. For a Mumbai style kanda bhaji version, you can even add 2 teaspoons of coarsely crushed coriander seeds at this step. Crush the coriander seeds coarsely in a mortar-pestle.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of oil to this mixture. The addition of oil makes these pakoras crisp and also helps in less absorption of oil while frying the bhajis.
5. With your hands mix everything very well. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 to 6 minutes as the onions would leave moisture. The mixture shouldn’t be too dry nor moist.  If the mixture looks too moist then add 1 to 2 teaspoons of gram flour (besan). If it looks dry, then allow it to rest for a couple of more minutes.

Frying Onion Bhaji

6. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or a deep pan. You can use any neutral-flavored oil.
7. For crispy bhaji ensure the oil is hot when you start frying. You could do a small test by adding a pinch of batter to the oil. As right oil temperature for frying is very crucial. If it does not rise to the surface that means the oil is not hot. So increase the heat to make the oil hot. If in case the oil becomes very hot the bhajis will get browned quickly and can get burnt also. They will also rise to the surface very quickly. If it rises smoothly and steadily, then the oil is hot enough for bhaji to be fried. Add spoonfuls of the batter to the moderately hot oil. Fry the bhajis on a medium heat or else they won’t fry evenly.
8. When one side is partly cooked and light golden, then flip the bhajis with a slotted spoon.
9. Flip a couple of times more and fry them till they become crisp and golden. Fry few kanda bhajis at a time in batches. Don’t overcrowd the pan while frying.
10. Remove the kanda bhajis with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent kitchen paper napkins or kitchen paper towels. In the same way fry the rest of onion bhaji in batches.
11. Serve Kanda Bhaji hot with fried salted green chilies, Mint Chutney or mint coriander chutney or tomato ketchup. For the fried green chilies, slit them keeping the entire green chili intact. Fry them in the same oil, till their color changes. Place them on absorbent paper napkins. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt on the green chilies and mix very well. Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Aloo Pakora (Indian Potato Fritters) Bread Pakora (2 Ways) | Stuffed & Plain Bread Pakoda Paneer Pakora Recipe (Paneer Pakoda) Mirchi Bajji Recipe | Chilli Bajji | Mirapakaya Bajji This Kanda Bhaji Post from the blog archives, first published in July 2016 has been republished and updated on December 2022.