Onion bhaji are also known as onion bhaji (bhajji) or onion pakora. These fried Indian onion fritters are deliciously crispy, spicy, and best with a chutney for dipping.
You can use both yellow and red onions to make onion bhaji, but in India, red onions are usually used. This is because red onions have a sharper taste that becomes sweeter when fried. Additionally, red onions are cheaper in India than yellow or white onions.
Onion bhaji are usually served with a tamarind chutney or mango chutney, as the sweet taste of these chutneys is a good match for the spicy fritters.
If you don't have chickpea flour at home but have dried chickpeas, you can grind them yourself until fine. Sift the ground chickpeas to make sure there are no chunks.
This recipe contains the following allergens. Click on the allergen to search for alternative recipes.
Made by Véronique
Published at 2025-09-02, this recipe is for 4 persons and takes 45 minutes.
Founder of Ohmydish (since 2014), she prefers to spend all day in the kitchen. Once working in the hospitality industry as an independent chef, she loves helping you gain confidence in the kitchen. With her easy-to-follow recipes, handy tips, and cooking knowledge, you'll make the most delicious dishes yourself! The recipes are accessible to everyone, from beginners to advanced home cooks.
Updated at: 2025-11-13
Peel the red onions and cut them into thin half-rings. Sprinkle the onions with half a teaspoon of salt, mix well, and let them sit for about 10 - 15 minutes so that the moisture is drawn out of the onions.
Meanwhile, peel the garlic cloves and ginger root. Chop the garlic and ginger as finely as possible.
If desired, remove the seeds from the green chili and chop it finely.
Heat a good amount of neutral oil like sunflower oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
Mix the garlic, ginger, and green chili with the onions.
Add chili powder, coriander, garam masala, baking soda, chickpea flour, and rice flour. If you want to add curry leaves, it’s best to chop them roughly first.
Add a few tablespoons of water, preferably as little as possible so the batter isn’t too wet. The amount of water depends on the moisture from the red onions.
Use 2 spoons to fry a small amount of batter at a time. Don’t fry too many onion bhaji at once and fry them until golden brown. Let them drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve with tamarind chutney or mango chutney, enjoy!
What are curry leaves?
Curry leaves, or curry leaves, are leaves from the Murraya koenigii plant. This is a very aromatic plant from South Asia, popular in Indian dishes for their slightly bitter and spicy citrus flavor. Fresh curry leaves can be eaten, but the dried version is used like bay leaves and should be removed from your dish.
What spices are in onion bhaji?
The batter for onion bhaji usually contains chili powder, coriander seeds, garam masala, and possibly ajwain (carom seeds). Sometimes turmeric and cumin are also used. The type of chili powder typically used is Kashmiri chili powder. This is an Indian spice with a deep red color that has a mild flavor with a slightly smoky undertone. But you can use another type of chili powder if necessary.
Additionally, sometimes fresh curry leaves or fresh coriander are added. Green chili, ginger, and garlic are always used.
Per 1 serving / piece:
| Amount | Ingredient | Allergens | Kcal | Carbs | Carbs of which sugars | Fat | Fat of which saturated | Protein | Fibers | Sodium | Iron | Calcium | Magnesium | Potassium | Phosphorus | Copper | Zinc | Iodine | Selenium | Vitamin C | Vitamin D | Vitamin A | Vitamin B1 | Vitamin B2 | Vitamin B6 | Vitamin B12 | Vitamin B11 | Vitamin E | Vitamin K | Vitamin K1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | gram | red onion | 18.00 | 3.05 g | 3.05 g | 0.10 g | 0.05 g | 0.60 g | 1.25 g | 4.50 mg | 0.25 mg | 15.00 mg | 5.00 mg | 87.50 mg | 21.00 mg | 0.04 mg | 0.40 mg | - | - | 3.25 mg | - | - | 0.02 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.07 mg | - | 5.00 µg | - | - | - | |
| 0.13 | teaspoon | salt | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 300.00 mg | - | 0.08 mg | 2.18 mg | 0.04 mg | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 0.25 | green chili | 3.50 | 0.08 g | 0.04 g | - | - | 0.02 g | 0.03 g | 0.16 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.12 mg | 0.25 mg | 3.06 mg | 0.46 mg | - | - | - | 0.01 µg | 1.41 mg | - | 0.32 mg | - | - | - | - | 0.18 µg | 0.01 mg | 0.17 µg | - | ||
| 0.75 | cm | fresh ginger | 0.93 | 0.17 g | - | 0.02 g | - | 0.02 g | 0.02 g | 0.08 mg | 0.03 mg | 0.30 mg | 0.60 mg | 3.90 mg | 0.45 mg | - | 0.03 mg | - | - | 0.08 mg | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 0.75 | clove | garlic | 3.15 | 0.63 g | 0.02 g | - | - | 0.14 g | 0.04 g | 0.09 mg | 0.03 mg | 3.82 mg | 0.45 mg | 13.50 mg | 2.93 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.03 µg | - | 0.32 mg | - | - | - | - | 0.01 mg | - | 0.09 µg | - | - | - | |
| 22.5 | gram | chickpea flour | gluten, nuts | 87.08 | 13.01 g | 2.44 g | 1.51 g | 0.16 g | 5.04 g | 2.43 g | 14.40 mg | 1.09 mg | 10.13 mg | 37.35 mg | 190.35 mg | 71.55 mg | 0.20 mg | 0.63 mg | - | 1.87 µg | - | - | 0.45 mg | 0.11 mg | 0.03 mg | 0.11 mg | - | 98.33 µg | 0.18 mg | 2.03 µg | - |
| 12.5 | gram | rice flour | 45.75 | 10.00 g | - | 0.13 g | - | 0.75 g | - | 0.88 mg | 0.13 mg | 1.25 mg | 3.13 mg | 8.38 mg | 14.38 mg | 0.03 mg | 0.11 mg | - | 0.15 µg | - | - | - | 0.03 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.03 mg | - | 2.50 µg | 0.01 mg | - | - | |
| 0.13 | teaspoon | baking soda | - | 0.17 g | - | - | - | - | - | 171.00 mg | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 0.13 | teaspoon | chili powder | 2.38 | 0.20 g | - | 0.11 g | 0.03 g | 0.08 g | 0.16 g | 6.25 mg | 0.08 mg | 1.72 mg | - | 12.50 mg | - | - | - | - | - | 0.41 mg | - | - | - | 0.01 mg | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 0.25 | teaspoon | ground coriander | 2.24 | 0.41 g | - | 0.13 g | 0.01 g | 0.09 g | 0.31 g | 0.26 mg | 0.12 mg | 5.32 mg | 2.48 mg | 9.50 mg | 2.24 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.04 mg | - | - | 0.16 mg | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.08 µg | 0.02 mg | 2.32 µg | - | |
| 0.25 | teaspoon | garam masala | 2.60 | 0.52 g | - | 0.11 g | 0.02 g | 0.09 g | - | 0.65 mg | 0.22 mg | 4.85 mg | 2.59 mg | 11.58 mg | 2.60 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.03 mg | - | 0.06 µg | 0.16 mg | - | 1.56 mg | - | - | 0.01 mg | - | 0.82 µg | 0.03 mg | 0.23 µg | - | |
| 0.25 | small handful | of fresh curry leaves | 1.01 | 0.22 g | - | 0.02 g | - | 0.11 g | 0.10 g | 0.35 mg | 0.10 mg | 12.45 mg | 1.50 mg | 12.45 mg | 0.75 mg | - | 0.01 mg | - | 0.01 µg | 3.60 mg | - | 99.00 mg | - | - | - | - | 9.15 µg | 0.02 mg | - | - | |
| water | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| neutral oil | 33.04 | - | - | 3.74 g | 0.44 g | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| tamarind chutney | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| 199.66 | 28.45 g | 5.55 g | 5.86 g | 0.71 g | 6.93 g | 4.33 g | 498.61 mg | 2.05 mg | 55.03 mg | 55.52 mg | 352.76 mg | 116.35 mg | 0.30 mg | 1.29 mg | 0.03 µg | 2.10 µg | 9.37 mg | - | 101.33 mg | 0.17 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.23 mg | - | 116.13 µg | 0.27 mg | 4.76 µg | - | ||||
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