Freddo first introduced me to Maru Bhajias last year when he took me to Maru's Bhajia House on Ealing Road, Wembley. Freddo has been going there since he was a little youngster and loves the place for its famous crispy Maru Bhajias. I recall when we went he ordered two servings of Maru Bhajias, ate it all and wouldn't let anyone borrow the accompanying sauce!
Eager to give it a go, I attempted to cook his favourite snack...Maru Bhajias - homemade style. To try this yourself you are going to need the following.
Ingredients for 2 servings:
· 5-6 medium white potatoes
· 1 cup chick pea flour
· ½ teaspoon salt
· ½ teaspoon chilli powder (optional)
· 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
· 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
· Pinch of turmeric
· Pinch of soda bicarbonate
· Very small bunch of finely chopped coriander
· 1 teaspoon of mixture of green chillies and ginger (optional)
Method:
1) Peel and slice the potatoes (thin slices are best).
2) Wash and soak the potato slices in salted water for 15 minutes.
3) Mix the salt, pepper, chilli powder, ajwain and turmeric with the chick pea flour.
The recipe calls for layering the potatoes and then coating with the mixture (instructions below). Instead, I mixed everything it in a bowl and this seemed to work - do this if you're time short.
4) Sprinkle this mixture thinly on a tray. Sprinkle some coriander, chillies and ginger mixture thinly on the chick pea flour.
5) Drain the potatoes and layer them on top of the chick pea flour and spices.
6) Sprinkle the chick pea flour mixture on top of the potato slices topped by the coriander, chilli and ginger.
7) Repeat this until all the potatoes have been layered up. Leave this for 30 minutes.
8) Add the bicarbonate soda to the mixture. Using hands, mix the potatoes well until they all get thinly covered with the flour and spices mixture (now its tempting to add water - don't). The salt washed potatoes will create moisture to enable you to cover all the potatoes with the chick pea flour.
9) Heat some oil in a wok and fry the potatoes. Keep the heat high for the oil.
Here's a tip: add a few drops of the potato mixture – if it rises quickly to the top, your oil is ready.
10) Lower the heat and fry the bhajias at medium heat to allow them to cook well and crispy. Adjust the heat if necessary. Now it's no secret that this snack is very unhealthy for you...but you only live once!
For the Bhajia sauce, grab these ingredients:· 3 fresh ripe tomatoes· 1 carrot
· 1 green chilli
· Pinch of salt
Method:
1) Cut the ripe tomatoes, carrot and green chilli into small pieces.
2) Blend.
3) Add a little bit of water for the carrots to blend properly (it should resemble a gravy consistency).
4) Add salt.
1) Peel and slice the potatoes (thin slices are best).
2) Wash and soak the potato slices in salted water for 15 minutes.
3) Mix the salt, pepper, chilli powder, ajwain and turmeric with the chick pea flour.
The recipe calls for layering the potatoes and then coating with the mixture (instructions below). Instead, I mixed everything it in a bowl and this seemed to work - do this if you're time short.
4) Sprinkle this mixture thinly on a tray. Sprinkle some coriander, chillies and ginger mixture thinly on the chick pea flour.
5) Drain the potatoes and layer them on top of the chick pea flour and spices.
6) Sprinkle the chick pea flour mixture on top of the potato slices topped by the coriander, chilli and ginger.
7) Repeat this until all the potatoes have been layered up. Leave this for 30 minutes.
8) Add the bicarbonate soda to the mixture. Using hands, mix the potatoes well until they all get thinly covered with the flour and spices mixture (now its tempting to add water - don't). The salt washed potatoes will create moisture to enable you to cover all the potatoes with the chick pea flour.
9) Heat some oil in a wok and fry the potatoes. Keep the heat high for the oil.
Here's a tip: add a few drops of the potato mixture – if it rises quickly to the top, your oil is ready.
10) Lower the heat and fry the bhajias at medium heat to allow them to cook well and crispy. Adjust the heat if necessary. Now it's no secret that this snack is very unhealthy for you...but you only live once!
For the Bhajia sauce, grab these ingredients:· 3 fresh ripe tomatoes· 1 carrot
· 1 green chilli
· Pinch of salt
Method:
1) Cut the ripe tomatoes, carrot and green chilli into small pieces.
2) Blend.
3) Add a little bit of water for the carrots to blend properly (it should resemble a gravy consistency).
4) Add salt.
Special credit needs to go to Freddo as the outcome above was a result of our combined effort. Freddo rates the original 10/10. Our attempt got rated 7/10. Scoring 7 from the expert on Maru Bhajias is a success! Give it a go and let me know how you rate your very own Maru Bhajias.
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