Red onion & chilli bhajis with mint & garlic raita

Ingredients

• 2 red onions
• 100g chickpea flour (gram flour)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp curry paste or powder
• 1 red or green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• vegetable oil, for frying
•   Prep: 15 mins - 20 mins Cook: 20 mins

  Skill level:Moderately easy

  Servings:Makes 12

  Method

• Finely chop one onion and thinly slice the other. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the curry paste or powder, chopped chilli and a good sprinkling of salt. Add about 150ml of cold water to make a thick batter. Stir in the chopped and sliced onions until they are well coated.
• Mix together the raita ingredients with a little salt and pepper, then spoon into a small bowl. Heat about 5cm of oil in a wok or deep pan. Add a tiny speck of batter, if it rises to the surface surrounded by bubbles and starts to brown, then the oil is hot enough.
• Add heaped tbsps of onion mix to the pan, a few at a time, and cook for a few mins, turning once, until they are evenly browned and crisp, about 3-4 mins. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with a little salt and keep warm while you cook the remaining bhajis. Serve with the raita

For the raita

• 150g tub natural yogurt
• 2 tbsp chopped mint
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed