Piping Hot Bhajiya Recipes For The Monsoons

Imagine a cold, wet monsoon afternoon when you are cozy at home and the tummy is rumbling. Nothing like a hot plate of bhajiyas with chai then. We all have our childhood memories associated with the bhajiya, be it watching our mother prepare the besan batter, or the street food vendor frying kanda bhajji... it's a monsoon must!

Text: Fizaah Faiyaz
Photographs: Vijay Barathe

India being the hugely diverse country that it is, there are no limits to the innovations that we can come up with. Take the bhajiya, for one, and its variations. For simplification, we generally refer to a food item that involves any vegetable (sliced or chopped), dunked in besan batter and deep-fried as bhajiyas. And the ones that have a filling in them may be referred to as pakora, though not compulsarily. If you happen to go south, you would come across something similar called bonda. However the dishes that belong to the pakora/bhajiya fraternity are many and at times confusing; many would argue that the non vegetarian variety should also be added to the bhajiya family, but we'll keep that for another rainy day!

"A great bhajiya is recognised by its textures; soft on the inside and crisp on the outside," says Golden Star Thali's Rumi Ranji. Known for its authentic Gujarati and Rajasthani food, Golden Star Thali often serves these fried delicacies as part of their thalis. From the moong dal bhajiya to the palak bhajiya, it takes years of experience to get the dishes down pat. And Rumi knows this all too well, as his past experience involves working as a chef with the Taj group of hotels and then in 1993 partnered with Zia Eshraghi to manage this 60-seater restaurant. "Bhajiyas are one of the fastest snacks that one can make. All you need are a few basic ingredients, which are present in the house anyway. You could call them the fast food of India. On various tapris, you will see the vendors frying them. They make a lethal combination with the rains." We couldn't agree more with Rumi.

While the rain plays its own game outside, it's time to gather all your ingredients and head straight for the kitchen, because we have some mouth-watering recipes for you straight from the Golden Star Thali rasoi.