Vinegar Salt Crispy Onion Bhaji Bites with Minty Coconut Yoghurt

Difficulty: Medium | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 15 min | Total: 35 min | Serves: 6 | Dietary: Gluten-Free, Vegan

Salt and vinegar onion is a flavour that already works in a chip packet, so it was only a matter of time before it ended up in a bhaji. Chooki's Vinegar Chicken Salt goes into the onions first to pull the water out, then again over the top while they're still hot from the pan. Makes about 18, which sounds like plenty until the plate hits the table.

Step 1: Salt the Onions

Put the sliced onions in a big bowl, add the tablespoon of Chooki's Vinegar Chicken Salt and scrunch it through with your hands for a minute. Leave them for 10 minutes. The salt drags the water out of the onion, and that liquid is what makes the batter cling instead of sliding off in the pan. While they sit, stir the coconut yoghurt, mint and lime juice together and stick it in the fridge.

Step 2: Mix the Batter

Tip the besan, cumin and turmeric straight onto the onions, liquid and all. Mix, then add the cold water a splash at a time until you've got a thick, sticky batter that just coats the strands. You might not need all of it. It should look like mostly onion with a bit of batter holding it together, not the other way round.

Step 3: Fry

Pour 2cm of vegetable oil into a deep frying pan and heat it over medium-high to about 170°C. A strand of battered onion should sizzle straight away. Drop in heaped tablespoons of the mix, five or six at a time, and press each one down a little so it cooks through. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes a side until deep golden with dark, crispy ends. Drain on a wire rack rather than paper towel so the bottoms stay crisp.

Step 4: Season and Serve

Hit the bhajis with an extra pinch of Chooki's Vinegar Chicken Salt the second they come out of the oil, while the surface is still glossy enough for it to stick. Pile them up with the minty coconut yoghurt and a few lime wedges on the side.

Tip: Slice the onions as thin as you can manage. Thick slices stay raw in the middle while the outside burns. And check the besan packet if you're cooking for a coeliac, because some brands are packed alongside wheat.