Onion bajji / Vengaya bajji (in Tamil) is a popular South Indian snack made using Gram flour, rice flour and onion as major ingredients. My MIL makes this onion bajji / vengaya bajji often as an evening snack especially for guests and during rainy days. I have seen my friends making bajji easily with store bought readymade bajji mix. I had a thought that bajji batter is very difficult to prepare at home. But when I saw my MIL making authentic bajji recipes effortlessly, I felt it so easy, simple and it can be done in no time.
Before marriage, I have seen my mom making bajji varieties on Diwali. She makes all the varieties ( i.e. Raw banana, brinjal, onion, potato) in one go. We choose our favourite among them and enjoy eating it along with sweets. Both mom & Mil follows the same recipe for this traditional onion bajji recipe. Its so simple.
The ratio of besan flour & rice flour is 3:1 gives you the best bajji recipe. For this ratio, you’ll get a crispy exterior & a soft interior. Addition of cooking soda/ baking soda is also very important to get a puffy bajji. Otherwise bajji won’t be puffy and it will be flat.
Too much of cooking soda makes the bajji absorb more oil. Adding a pinch would do. If you make bajji with store bought mix, try this recipe for a change. U’ll love it and you’ll stop buying the readymade ones. If you want to make bajji without soda, you can add leftover idli dosa batter. It will come out really well.
Ok, Lets see how to make Tamil nadu style Onion bajji recipe / Vengaya bajji with step by step pictures and video.
Onion Bajji / Vengaya Bajji Recipe
INGREDIENTS (1 cup – 250ml)
- Besan flour / Kadalai maavu – 3/4 cup
- Rice flour / Arisi maavu – 1/4 cup
- Cooking soda / baking soda – A big pinch
- Orange food color – A pinch (optional)
- Red chilli powder – 1.5 tsp ( add 1 tsp for less spice)
- Hing/Asafetida – 1/4 tsp
- Ajwain/ omam/ Carom seeds OR cumin seeds/ jeera – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – As needed
- Water – 3/4 – 1 cup ( adjust)
How to make Onion Bajji – Method
Peel , wash and cut the head & tail portions of onions & slice into 1/4 inch thick rings. You can cut the onion with skin to get slices evenly. Set aside.
In a wide bowl , mix all the flours, powders, Ajwain / carom seeds or cumin seeds, salt and add water to make a slightly watery batter( like dosa batter). If you make it too watery, bajji will have tails.
At the same time , thick batter yeilds hard bajjis. The batter should be slightly thick & flow like a ribbon. It should coat the onion pieces well. Adjust water & flour accordingly. Dip the onion rings in the batter & coat it well.
Heat oil in a kadai and check with a drop of batter to find the correct heating point. i.e. If you put a drop of batter , the batter will rise immediately and floats on top. As soon as you get this heating point, simmer the flame and drop the onion rings coated well with batter.
Deep fry till the color changes golden brown and the bubbles ceases. Flip it and again cook for a minute. Drain & remove in a tissue paper.
Serve hot immediately. We love to have with coconut chutney !!
NOTE
- Addition of food color gives a nice color to bajji as you see in stalls..
- My mom & mil adds cumin seeds but i used ajwain for an enhanced flavour. Use any as per your wish.
- Please don’t skip adding baking soda . It gives a puffy , soft bajji. Make sure you don’t add much because bajji will be very oily and it is unhealthy too..
- Adjust the consistency of batter.. Batter should not be too thin or too thick. If your batter has become too thin, add besan & rice flour in 3:1 ratio and adjust the batter. If it is too thick add more water. Always add the extra water using a tbsp & check it.
- For variations, you can skip cooking soda and use leftover idli, dosa batter.
ONION BAJJI | VENGAYA BAJJI RECIPE – SNACKS RECIPES
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Besan flour / Kadala maavu
- ¼ cup Rice flour / Arisi maavu
- a big pinch Cooking soda / baking soda
- a pinch Orange food color optional
- 1.5 tsp Red chilli powder add 1 tsp for less spice ( Use Kashmiri chilli powder for bright color)
- ¼ tsp Hing/Asafetida
- ½ tsp Ajwain/ omam/ Carom seeds OR cumin seeds/ jeera
- Salt – As needed
- ¾ to 1 cup Water adjust
- Cooking oil – To deep fry
Instructions
- Wash and cut the head & tail portions of onions & slice into 1/4 inch thick rings. You can cut the onion with skin to get slices evenly. Set aside.
- In a wide bowl , mix all the flours, powders, Ajwain / carom seeds or cumin seeds, salt and add water to make a slightly watery batter( like dosa batter). If you make it too watery, bajji will have tails.
- At the same time , thick batter yeilds hard bajjis. The batter should be slightly thick & flow like a ribbon. It should coat the onion pieces well. Adjust water & flour accordingly. Dip the onion rings in the batter & coat it well.
- Heat oil in a kadai and check with a drop of batter to find the correct heating point.ie. If you put a drop of batter , the batter will rise immediately and floats on top. As soon as you get this heating point , simmer the flame and drop the onion rings coated well with batter.
- Deep fry till the color changes golden brown and the bubbles ceases..Flip it and again cook for a minute. Drain & remove in a tissue paper.
- Serve hot immediately..We love to have with coconut chutney !!
Video
Notes
- Addition of food color gives a nice color to bajji as you see in tea shops.
- My mom & mil adds cumin seeds but i used ajwain for an enhanced flavour. Use any as per your wish.
- Please don’t skip adding baking soda. It gives a puffy, soft bajji. Make sure you don’t add much because bajji will be very oily and it is unhealthy too.
- Adjust the consistency of batter. Batter should not be too thin or too thick. If your batter has become too thin, add besan & rice flour in 3:1 ratio and adjust the batter. If it is too thick add more water. Always add the extra water using a tbsp & check it.
- In the video, I have added 1 cup of besan flour and 1/3 cup of rice flour as per 3:1 ratio.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Bajjis absorb excess oil for two main reasons: the oil temperature is too low or the batter has too much baking soda. Always do a temperature check before frying—drop a tiny pinch of batter into the hot oil. It should sizzle and rise to the surface immediately. If it sinks, wait a minute for the oil to heat up further.
Yes. If you prefer to skip the baking soda, add 1 to 2 ladles of leftover idli, dosa batter OR pour 1 to 2 teaspoons of smoking hot oil directly into your dry flour mixture (besan and rice flour) before adding water. Mix well, then add water to form the batter. This traditional trick guarantees a crispy exterior and soft interior without making the bajji heavy or oily.
Flat bajjis usually mean the batter is too thin or watery. The batter needs to be thick enough to evenly coat the onion ring, flowing like a ribbon when poured. If your batter is too thin, simply add a little more besan (kadala maavu) and rice flour (arisi maavu) in a 3:1 ratio to thicken it up.
To get perfectly even, round slices, peel the onion but leave the root intact while slicing, or slice the onion with the outer dry skin still on and peel it off afterward. Aim for slices that are about ¼-inch thick so they cook through evenly without breaking apart.
South Indian onion bajjis pair perfectly with a simple, fresh coconut chutney or a tangy tomato onion chutney. Serve them piping hot alongside a strong cup of filter coffee or tea for a classic evening tea-kadai style snack.
Try this easy and yummy Onion bajji recipe and enjoy with hot tea !
really appreciate your pics, recipe and the description especially the tails part! so true! even a novice can now prepare bajjis after reading your details and instructions.Often I myself buuy ready powders to see how different they are from home made ones.Nothing to beat fresh home made batter.
Thank u so much.Ur comments are really encouraging :)Do try this recipe & leave ur feedback :)
I never buy the ready made batter..always love the homemade ones..looks yumm..nice pics..
good one and tempting me to the core !
its perfectly made..
Thank u friends :)
nice tempting snack.
Tempting bajiis
OMG , I love this bajji very much and having one photo in my draft for a long time But yours look very pretty and makes me very hungry:)
Regarding the corn tortilla: I have left the answer in my home made corn tortilla recipe. But FYI: You can inquire a nearby dry grinding flour mill, if they can make this corn flour from makka cholam (yellow corn). wheat tortillas also can make similar wraps and are equally popular. Try and let me know.
Thank u so much dear. Will surely try with wheat flour and let u know :)
First time here…love your space…nothing beats bajji's…happy to follow you :)
Wow chitra crispy and tasty bajji is tempting me a lot.
Wow, Gorgeous!
Perfect,tasty & crisp Bajjis !
looks perfect and I too love to add ajwain in bajji
Perfect for a cuppa tea… yummm
perfect;y made onion bajjis n chai
looks absolutely inviting
Tasty Appetite
Wonderful pictures and step by step instructions. Your blog is my first stop when i venture to try interesting/different items.
Wish to share a tip that I do to avoid the soda and always succeed in getting crispy bajjis.
In the dry mix of mavus, I add one/two tsp of oil hot (that i will use to fry bajji), mix the mavus and oil before adding water to make the batter.
Also I have used 50% kadala mavu and 50% pottukadala mavu and get crispy and soft bajjis.
Thank u so much sukanya. will try ur tip for soda replacement..Adding pottukadala maavu is also a good idea. Thanks for sharing dear :)
Good one. Nice recipe thanks for sharing it with us. I love to have it. M also writing Crepe Recipe for those who love crepe.
Made 2 days back and turned yummy.Water measurement was very useful for me as this is the first time i tried.
Thank u so much for the feedback. I am so glad u liked it :)
How much bajji's will your recipe make? thank you.
10-12 i feel