![]() Stuffed mirchi (chilli) bajji served in an Indian restaurant | |
Alternative names | Bhaji, bajji, Onion Bhaji, Bhajia (Gujarati) |
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Type | Fritter |
Place of origin | India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh |
Region or state | Indian subcontinent |
Serving temperature | Hot |
Main ingredients | Gram flour, vegetables |
Similar dishes | Pakora and other fritters made from wheat or corn flour |
A bhaji or bajji is a type of fritter originating in the Indian subcontinent. It is made from spicy hot vegetables, commonly onion, and has several variants. [1] It is a popular snack food in India. It can be found for sale in street-side stalls, especially in tapris (on streets) and dhabas (on highways). It is also a common starter in Anglo-Indian cuisine across the United Kingdom.
The Guinness World Record for the largest onion bhaji is held by one weighing 175.48 kilograms (386 lb 13+3⁄4 oz) made by Oli Khan and Team of Surma Takeaway Stevenage on 4 February 2020. [2]
Outside Southern and Western India, such preparations are often known as pakora . Its variations include the chili bajji, potato bajji, onion bajji, plantain bajji and the bread bajji (or bread pakora). Another version is called bonda (in south India), vada (in Maharashtra) and Gota (in Gujarat). Bonda has potato or mixed vegetable filling while Gota is made with green fenugreek leaves.
Bhajis are a component of traditional Punjabi Pakistani and Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu cuisines served on special occasions and at festivals. They are generally served with a cup of coffee, tea, or a traditional serving of yameen. Banana peppers are used for making mirchi bhajji.
Onion bhajis are often eaten as a starter in Anglo-Indian restaurants before the main course, along with poppadoms and other Indian snacks. They may be served with a side of salad and a slice of lemon, or with mango chutney, and are traditionally made to a mild taste. [1]
Bonda is a deep-fried South Indian potato snack that has various sweet and savory versions in different regions. The most common is aloo bonda, and other region-specific variations include potato replaced with sweet potato, tapioca, grated pineapple, green peas, paneer, or other ingredients.
Pakora is a fritter originating from the Indian subcontinent. They are sold by street vendors and served in restaurants in South Asia. It often consists of vegetables such as potatoes and onions, which are coated in seasoned gram flour batter and deep fried.
A fritter is a portion of meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, or other ingredients which have been battered or breaded, or just a portion of dough without further ingredients, that is deep-fried. Fritters are prepared in both sweet and savory varieties.
A dip or dip sauce is a common condiment for many types of food. Dips are used to add flavor or texture to a food, such as pita bread, dumplings, crackers, chopped raw vegetables, fruits, seafood, cubed pieces of meat and cheese, potato chips, tortilla chips, falafel, and sometimes even whole sandwiches in the case of jus. Unlike other sauces, instead of applying the sauce to the food, the food is typically placed or dipped into the sauce.
Chaat, or chāt is a family of savoury snacks that originated in India, typically served as an hors d'oeuvre or at roadside tracks from stalls or food carts across South Asia in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh. With its origins in Uttar Pradesh, India, chaat has become immensely popular in the rest of South Asia.
Maharashtrian or Marathicuisine is the cuisine of the Marathi people from the Indian state of Maharashtra. It has distinctive attributes, while sharing much with other Indian cuisines. Traditionally, Maharashtrians have considered their food to be more austere than others.
The fast food industry in India has evolved with the changing lifestyles of the young Indian population. The variety of gastronomic preferences across the regions, hereditary or acquired, has brought about different modules across the country.
Gujarati cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Gujarat. The typical Gujarati thali consists of rotli, dal or curry, rice, and shaak. The thali will also include preparations made from pulses or whole beans such as moong, black eyed beans etc., a snack item (farsaan) like dhokla, pathra, samosa, fafda, etc. and a sweet (mishthaan) like mohanthal, jalebi, sevaiya etc.
Udupi cuisine is a cuisine of South India. It forms an important part of Tuluva cuisine and takes its name from Udupi, a city on the southwest coast of India in the Tulunadu region of the state of Karnataka.
Odia cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Odisha. Compared to other regional Indian cuisines, Odia cuisine uses less oil and is less spicy, while nonetheless remaining flavourful. Rice is the staple food of this region. Mustard oil is used in some dishes as the cooking medium, but ghee is preferred in temples. Odia foods traditionally served either on brass, bronze metal plates, banana leaf or disposable plates made of sal leaves.
Sindhi cuisine refers to the distinct native cuisine of the Sindhi people from Sindh, Pakistan. Sindhi cuisine has been influenced by Central Asian, Iranian, Mughal food traditions. It is mostly a non-vegetarian cuisine, with even Sindhi Hindus widely accepting of meat consumption. The daily food in most Sindhi households consists of wheat-based flat-bread (Mani) or rice accompanied by two dishes, one gravy and one dry with curd, papad or pickle. Freshwater fish and a wide variety of vegetables are usually used in Sindhi cuisine. Restaurants specializing in Sindhi cuisine are rare, although it is found at truck stops in rural areas of Sindh province, and in a few restaurants in urban Sindh.
Konkani cuisine is the cuisine of the Saraswat Brahmins from the Konkan region on the western coast of India. Konkani cuisine differs within the Saraswat Brahmin subsects and within the Konkan-Canara region. Konkani cuisine originally hails from the Konkan region including Uttara Kannada, Udupi district, Dakshina Kannada, Damaon, and Goa, India. Konkani cuisine is popular served in many restaurants throughout the western coast of India, and especially in the cities of Bombay and Bangalore. Each variation has its unique flavour and makes uses of different vegetables and fruits available in the region. Konkani cuisine is usually pesco-vegetarian, except acharyas and purohits who follow a strictly saatvik vegetarian diet. According the Konkani folklore, fish, meats are regarded as sea vegetables. Historically, they have refrained from eating any terrestrial animals in general.
Mirchi Bada or Mirchi Vada is a vegetarian fast food dish native to Jodhpur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The dish is made by stuffing a green chili with indian spices, mashed potato, and gram flour, then it is wrapped in besan batter and fried until golden brown. It is served hot with tomato sauce or occasionally with mint and tamarind chutney. Banana pepper and Bhavnagri chillis are used for making mirchi bada.
Goan cuisine consists of regional foods popular in Goa, an Indian state located along India's west coast on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Rice, seafood, coconut, vegetables, meat, bread, pork and local spices are some of the main ingredients in Goan cuisine. Use of kokum and vinegar is another distinct feature. Goan food is considered incomplete without fish.
Andhra cuisine, culturally known as Telugu cuisine, is a cuisine of India native to the state of Andhra Pradesh and is the culinary style of Telugu people. It is generally known for its tangy, hot, and spicy taste.
Malaysian Indian cuisine, or the cooking of the ethnic Indian communities in Malaysia, consists of adaptations of authentic dishes from India, as well as original creations inspired by the diverse food culture of Malaysia. Because the vast majority of Malaysia's Indian community are of South Indian descent, and are mostly ethnic Tamils who are descendants of immigrants from a historical region which consists of the modern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka's Northern Province, much of Malaysian Indian cuisine is predominantly South Indian inspired in character and taste. A typical Malaysian Indian dish is likely to be redolent with curry leaves, whole and powdered spice, and contains fresh coconut in various forms. Ghee is still widely used for cooking, although vegetable oils and refined palm oils are now commonplace in home kitchens. Before a meal it is customary to wash hands as cutlery is often not used while eating, with the exception of a serving spoon for each respective dish.
Street food, as in other areas of India, are popular in Chennai, despite the common belief in India that street food is unhealthy. The idly sambhar is a popular dish, which is served as breakfast or dinner. Apart from regular South Indian street food, the city's streets are also filled with several North Indian street food outlets, most of them established by North Indian migrants themselves. Gujarati and Burmese are also available. Street food in Chennai is so popular that a game had developed based on the TV show The Amazing Race where contestants have to follow clues to street-food spots in the city.
Bread pakora is an Indian fried snack. It is also known as bread bhaji. A common street food, it is made from bread slices, gram flour, and spices among other ingredients.